Headlines
Imo Assembly Shut As Lawmaker Tests Positive for Coronavirus
The Imo State House of Assembly has been shut down for two weeks following a lawmaker in the state who tested positive for Coronavirus.
The Chairman of the State Task Force on COVID-19, Maurice Iwu, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Owerri on Tuesday.
Mr Iwu said the assembly had been shut down because of the development to enable the team to fumigate the whole assembly.
He said samples of the other 26 legislators and their aides have been taken for testing.
The task-force chairman also announced the death of a woman, who died of the virus shortly after being delivered of a set of twins at a hospital in Owerri.
“Currently, we registered one death of a lady who successfully delivered a set of twins.
“Also, we have a positive case from the state assembly as such have to collect samples from all house members and their aides.
“Also, the House of Assembly is to be shut down for two weeks to fumigate the place following a laid down strategic plan,” he said.
Mr Iwu further explained that the team had embarked on enhanced screening of people to know if they had Severe Acute Respiratory Symptom (SARS).
“A total of 760 samples have so far been tested in the state with 135 coming out positive. We have 92 active cases while 43 persons have been discharged,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the death of the woman brought to two the number of deaths arising from COVID-19 in the state.
“COVID-19 is not only a public health crisis but more of a social disharmony hence the need for social harmony through social distancing,” Mr Iwu said.
He added that there were four persons currently at the Federal Medical Centre isolation centre, four at WODDI centre and some others at other isolation centres.
Mr Iwu disclosed that the house of assembly member was isolated with the wife.
The chairman urged Imo people to continue to observe the existing protocols of wearing masks, washing of hands with water, applying alcohol based sanitizer as well as physical distancing.
NAN
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
