The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has extended the phase two lockdown by one week from the initial one month extension.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and chairman of the PTF-COVID-19, Boss Mustpha, revealed this at the daily briefing on COVID-19 on Monday in Abuja.

The PTF has continued to evaluate the developments as well as the level of compliance nationwide.

(It) has regrettably come to the inevitable conclusion that majority of Nigerians irrespective of status, creed and level of education continue to live in denial on the virulent nature of the virus and consistently breach the guidelines and non-pharmaceutical measures put in place.

We informed you two weeks ago that the process of submitting the 6th Interim Report and recommendations for next steps had commenced.

The PTF has reached advanced stages of the process. It has also considered that due to the upcoming Sallah (Eid El-Kabir) festivities which coincides with the expiration of the current phase, it would be prudent to extend by one week, from 29th July, 2020 till Thursday 6th August, 2020.

It has accordingly secured permission to retain the existing guidelines till that date.

Mustapha further called on Muslims and all Nigerians to observe all measures put in place to reduce the curve of the pandemic.

We note with delight, the increasing number of States that have shelved activities during the Eid-el-kabir and we still urge others yet to do so, to follow suit.

WHO has also issued Safe Eid practices in the context of COVID-19 and I urge us all to access and disseminate. The National coordinator will also elaborate on this.

Similarly, the PTF appreciates the Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), who has always been a great champion in the fight against the pandemic, for advising Muslims to avoid massive gatherings at Eid grounds and pray at Area Mosques under prescribed protocols.

Source: NAN News

President Muhammadu Buhari

By Ismaila Chafe

President Buhari has urged Malian political leaders to consider the fragile peace in the country and the likely spiralling effect on the sub-region.

The president gave the challenge on Monday during a virtual Extraordinary Session of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja.

The Nigerian leaderappealed to government and people of Mali to consider recommendations of ECOWAS Special Envoy, former President Goodluck Jonathan and his team, in resolving the political crisis.

According to him, a government of national unity will provide inclusivity and ensure peaceful co-existence.

I wish to place on record, my commendations for the various layers of efforts, and especially, of former President Goodluck Jonathan, whose painstaking engagements as Special Envoy and Mediator, provided clear road-map to contain the crisis in Mali.

I appeal therefore, to all the Malian stakeholders to consider the proposals for the reform of the Constitutional Court and the established modalities for resolving the continuous 31 seats issue at the National Assembly.

Equally significant, is the need to address governance challenges, whose manifestations are at the core of restiveness across the country.

In order to address these matters holistically, it is important that all Malians embrace the call for a Government of National Unity where inclusivity of participation in the affairs of governing their country will be a responsibility of each and every Malian actor.

I wish to reiterate the imperative of compromise and concessions for a peaceful resolution of the current crisis which would be acceptable to all parties, he said.

The president commended the Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State

Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state.

By Muhammad Nur Tijani

The Kano State Government has distributed over two million face masks to various groups in the state, in an effort to stem further spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

The distribution of the face masks was carried out by Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje..

Ganduje said that the gesture would go a long way in curbing the spread of the pandemic.

According to him, National Association of Transport Owners (NARTO), the National Union of Transport Workers (NURTW), student unions and market associations, among others will benefit from the exercise.

Ganduje said that the state government had made the wearing of face mask compulsory in public places across the state.

If the state government wants to sustain the efforts it has made in curtailing the disease, COVID-19 protocols must be followed.

Although Kano State is winning the war against Coronavirus, there are some issues to stick to, especially coordination among the stakeholders to ensure compliance with COVID-19 protocols.

We have also observed that people are not comfortable with wearing face masks, which is a very important preventive measure.

We are working with relevant stakeholders, especially security agents to ensure total compliance in the state, he said.

Ganduje said that transport unions must ensure that the face masks are distributed to their members and drivers must ensure every passenger wears one before boarding their vehicle.

The Deputy Governor of the state, Nasiru Gawuna, said that the state government had earlier distributed three million pieces of face masks to various organisations.

Gawuna, however, urged the public to take responsibility to complement the governments efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

Also speaking, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Bayero, said that the Emirate Council would sensitise the people on te need to abide by the COVID-19 protocols for the general well-being of the public.

We are calling on the good people of Kano State to abide by the laid down rules and regulations, especially, during Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, he said.

Source: NAN News

COVID-19 updates by NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced 555 new COVID-19 cases in the country as total infections from the virus exceeded 40,000 in five months.

The NCDC, which made this known on its official twitter handle, also recorded two deaths in the country in the last 24 hours.

NCDC said 40,537 cases had been confirmed, 17,374 cases discharged and 858 deaths recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory till date.

It said that the new cases were reported in the 18 states of Lagos (156), Kano (65), Ogun (57), Plateau (54), Oyo(53), Benue (43), FCT (30), Ondo(18), Kaduna (16), Akwa Ibom (13), Gombe (13), Rivers (12), Ekiti (9), Osun (8), Cross River(3), Borno (2), Edo (2) and Bayelsa (1).

The health agency said a multi-sectoral national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) activated at Level 3 would continue to coordinate the national response activities across the country.

It also advised Nigerians to limit or avoid sharing personal items as well as avoid touching high-contact surfaces like door handles and stair rails.

According to the agency, the virus that causes COVID-19 can live on surfaces for several hours.

The NCDC further urged Nigerians to clean all surfaces with soap and water or disinfectants.

Source: NAN News

By Rita Iliya
The Niger state Child Rights Protection Agency says it will ensure that parents of the 15 children discovered from a torture house in Suleja are prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Hajiya Mariam Kolo, Director-General of the agency, made this known during a visit to the COVID-19 Isolation Centre where the children are receiving medical attention in Minna on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the police, following reliable information received on July 18, rescued the children from a house disguised as an Islamic study centre.

The children were said to have been physically abused, chained by their teacher and had scars all over their bodies.

They were later handed to the state child rights agency to be taken care of.

The children are doing fine now, we have been taking good care of them in terms of feeding and medical care and until we are sure they are out of danger medically before we will reunite them with their families, she said.

Kolo said that parents of the children would soon be prosecuted once the ongoing strike by the state labour union was over to serve as a deterrent to others.

The D-G appealed to parents especially fathers to look inward within their communities for Islamic schools to enrol their wards and desist from sending them to strangers.

There are enough Islamic schools within their locality, children are supposed to be blessings to society rather than a burden, these children from every indication do not have moral training.

Henceforth, any parents caught sending their children away from home to other places will be dealt with decisively, she added.

Source: NAN News

By Yunus Yusuf

Arik Air has announced the resumption of its flight operations to Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, and Yola Airport from July 28.

Mr Adebanji Ola, its Communications Manager, said in a statement in Lagos that both services would originate from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, with connections to and from Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

According to Ola, Arik Air will be operating separate flights from Abuja to Kano and Yola.

Flights from Abuja to Kano will operate four times weekly on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, while flights from Abuja to Yola will operate thrice weekly on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Passengers traveling from Lagos can connect seamlessly to these services from Abuja, he said.

The airline has again assured passengers of their safety and well-being at every stage of their flight as the airline has put various measures in place in line with COVID-19 health protocols as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Ola reiterated the need for passengers to use their face masks at every stage of their flights and arrive at least one and a half hours before their scheduled departure time.

He quoted the Chief Executive Officer of Arik Air, Capt. Roy Ilegbodu, as saying: We are delighted to recommence services to Kano and Yola following the approval for the reopening of the airports by the NCAA.

We shall continue to review our operations as more airports are given official permission to reopen to ensure we serve our customers efficiently, he said.

Source: NAN News

President Muhammadu Buhari and President General of SEAMATA, Chief Gozie Akudolu

By Stanley Nwanosike

The South-East Amalgamated Market Traders Association (SEAMATA) has expressed has commended President Muhammadu Buharis fight against corruption.

The association said in a statement jointly signed by SEAMATAs President-General, Chief Gozie Akudolu, and its Secretary-General, Chief Alex Okwudili, in Enugu.

The statement was entitled Anti-Corruption Crusade Must be Prosecuted without Sentiments.

The association advised the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), not to be distracted by social media and fake news publications, but to make the fight against corruption evidence-based.

According to the statement, the consequences of corruption are legion and traders and business owners are at the receiving end of the cankerworm.

This is why the present issues at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) must be handled without emotions and sentiments.

The information available to the public are still sketchy, but some of them appear novel in line with due process and supportive of the principles of fair hearing, it said.

The association said that it supported the following:

That the Ministerial memorandum from Malami to President Buhari detailing infractions against the EFCC and its mangers was in order and in line with his supervisory responsibilities.

That the action of Malami is an unprecedented act of courage and should be commended.

In the past, ministers have been in unholy alliances with the Chief Executives of Agencies and Departments under their supervision, leading to massive corruption, colossal waste of public resources and shameless economic conspiracy against the Nigerian state.

That President Buhari acted in national interest and in line with his powers by setting up the Justice Salami Investigative Panel. The Panel as the name implies is investigative and not a court of law.

The Panel has provided opportunities for accused persons to defend themselves nothing could be more independent and transparent than this presidential process.

That CP Ibrahim Magu and his colleagues have the opportunity to provide answers to the questions posed by the panel and defend themselves in the process.

That the issues under investigation are serious financial issues ranging from alleged re-looting of recovered property/assets to sabotage in the investigation, prosecution of high-profile corruption cases and must not be swept under the carpet.

That Nigerians are enjoined to give Justice Salami and his colleagues in the Panel, an opportunity to conclude their inquiry, come up with their report and recommend actions before jumping to inglorious conclusions.

That avoidable distractions, distortions, media orchestrations, fake news sponsorship and faceless damage to the reputations of public officials will never be a solution to a legitimate process, to establish guilt or otherwise, of principal actors in this investigation.

Source: NAN News

Malam Shuaibu Sani

By Salisu Sani-Idris
An indigene of Nasarawa state, Malam Shuaibu Sani, has emerged the Speaker of the 3rd Republic of the Youth Assembly of Nigeria (YAN) after polling 541 votes at the just concluded election of the assembly.

The chairman, National Convention Committee, Ambassador Umaru Babayaro made this known in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

Babayaro said that the position for the office was keenly contested by three state ambassadors who decided to step down on July 25 before the election.

This paved way for a single contestant. We are pleased to announce that with the help of technology, the sorting and collation was done in minutes.

Shuaibu Sani from Nasarawa state, scored 541 votes, while Amb. Ezenwata Albert Enugu state scored 294 votes to emerged the deputy speaker.

For the office of the Majority Leader, Amb. Samuel Adeyelu scored 442 votes, while Amb. Musbau Esinrogunjo polled 442 votes to emerge deputy Majority leader.

For the office of Chief Whip, Amb. Sanusi Sarki Sokoto state scored 400 votes while Amb. Abubakar Ibn Usman Yobe State scored 242 votes to emerged deputy Chief Whip.

The highest votes are hereby declared winners of the election and are returned elected into the above positions, he said.

Babayaro, on behalf of the national convention committee, thanked the outgoing speaker of the assembly, Mr Godstime Samuel, for having faith in the committee to deliver on its mandate.

He also thanked the newly elected Ambassadors for showing passion and commitment to ensuring the success of the election.

Babayaro, therefore, enjoined the new speaker and the principal officers to do their best and take the 3rd Republic of youth Assembly of Nigeria to a higher pedestal.

Source: NAN News

President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has joined other sub-regional leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in an extra-ordinary virtual meeting to mitigate the political crisis in Mali.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was summoned in line with the outcome of Thursdays meeting of the ECOWAS leaders in Bamako, Mali.

The Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, President Mahamadou Issoufou had on that Thursday said the sub-regional organisation would do all it could to address the crisis in Mali.

The Thursdays meeting was attended by President Buhari, Host President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Presidents Machy Sall of Senegal, Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana and Alassane Ouattara of Cote dIvoire.

A statement by Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in Abuja on Friday said the ECOWAS leaders listened to a brief by the ECOWAS Special Envoy, former President Goodluck Jonathan, and leader of the opposition, Imam Mahmoud Dicko.

The representatives of opposition alliance, M5 and Civil Society Organisations also briefed the leaders on their positions over the crisis.

NAN reliably learnt that todays meeting of the ECOWAS leaders with single agenda, namely; Political crisis in Mali, may recommend drastic measures meant to address the crisis.

A resistance group in Mali, M5, is insisting that the Constitutional Court must be dissolved, and the President resign, before peace can return to the country.

Crisis erupted after the court nullified results of 31 parliamentary seats in the polls held recently, awarding victory to some other contenders, which the resistance group said was at the instigation of President Keita.

Riots on July 10 led to the killing of some protesters by security agents, causing the crisis to spiral out of control, hence the intervention by ECOWAS.

But the Special Envoy of ECOWAS to Mali, former President Goodluck Jonathan, who earlier paid a peace mission to Mali last two weeks, said: ECOWAS felt that the violent protest should not continue, so I should lead a special team to go again and engage them (protesters).

Jonathan, who described the outcome of their mission to Mali as partially successful, expressed the hope that normalcy would soon be restored to the troubled country.

He disclosed that a government of national unity would soon be constituted in Mali as the countrys parliament and Constitutional Court would be put in place.

He called on the Malian opposition leaders to cooperate with the ECOWAS in bringing sanity and political stability to the country, saying that the mediation team had no mandate to ask the elected Malian president to resign from office.

Source: NAN News

By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko

Dr Yemi Popoola, a livestock scientist, has urged Nigerians to embrace production and consumption of rabbit because of its numerous nutritional benefits.

Popoola, a livestock scientist at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR