Headlines
Nigeria Continues to Record Zero COVID-19 Deaths
Daily deaths from COVID-19 have declined in Nigeria in the past week with no fatalities recorded from the disease in the past 48 hours.
The fatality toll in the country remains 2,030 in total with no deaths from the disease on Monday, the fifth day within eight days that nobody died from the virus.
This is according to an update published by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Monday night.
Also, in continuation of a steady run of low infection figures, the country recorded 131 new cases in 14 states on Monday.
The new tally raised the total number of infections in the West African nation to 161,868, according to the NCDC.
In the past one week, there has been a decline in new cases as daily infections have fallen below 300.
The NCDC data also suggests that Africa’s most populous nation may have gone past the worst phase of the pandemic, although experts warns it might be too early to celebrate.
The 131 new cases were reported from 14 states: Lagos-64, Rivers-12, Kaduna-11, Plateau-9, Jigawa-8, Bayelsa-6, Ondo-5, Ebonyi-4, FCT-4, Osun-4, Borno-1, Kano-1, Ogun-1, and Oyo-1.
Lagos had the highest figure on Monday with 64 new cases followed by Rivers and Kaduna with 12 and 11 infections respectively.
Since the pandemic broke out in Nigeria in February last year, the country has carried out over 1.6 million tests.
More than two-thirds of the over 161,000 people infected by COVID-19 in Nigeria have recovered after treatment.
According to NCDC, a total of 148,125 people have recovered after treatment.
Meanwhile, over 12, 000 infections are still active in the country.
Nigeria recently commenced the vaccination of its residents after receiving almost four million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
Priority is being given to health workers while interested Nigerians have been asked to register online to be vaccinated.
Top public officials including President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo were vaccinated publicly to drive vaccine acceptance among citizens.
The vaccines have been shared among the states according to the disease burden among the priority groups.
About 122,410 Nigerians have received jabs of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, said on Monday.
Meanwhile, the news that there were side effects among a few people receiving the Oxford jabs in other countries is further escalating the already existing skepticism about the vaccines.
Mr Shuaib while speaking at Monday’s briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 said Nigeria has not recorded any serious adverse reaction following the administration of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.
Premium Times
Headlines
Abiola Cannot Be Recognised As Former President; He Was Never Sworn-in – Gen Ishola Williams
By Eric Elezuo
One of the prime actors of the June 12, 1993 incidents, General Ishola Williams, has said that much as Chief MKO Abiola wrong was created having won the election, and denied victory, he cannot be recognized as a former President of Nigeria.
Gen Williams made his revelation while speaking as a guest on Channels television socio-political programme, Inside Source.
He maintained that only those who were sworn in that recognised as former presidents, and Abiola was never sworn in.
“Abiola cannot be recognised as former president because he was never sworn in.
The General, who said that he resigned from the army as a result of the wholesome reception given to General Sani Abacha, when he overthrew Chief Ernest Shonekan-led Interim National Government, contrary to expectation, also picked flaws in the narratives given by former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, in his recently launched book, A Journey In Service.
Williams rose in the army to become the Commandant of Army Signals, Commander of Training and Doctrine (TRADOC) and Chief of Defence Training and Planning, from where he resigned.
Headlines
Breaking: Supreme Court Recognises Martin Amaewhule As Rivers Assembly Speaker, Orders CBN to Stop Releasing Funds to State
By Eric Elezuo
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has in its ruling on Friday recognised Hon Martins Amaewhule as the authentic speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, mandating him to urgently resume sitting with elected members of the assembly.
The apex court also ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria to stop releasing to the Rivers State government until a proper assembly is constituted.
Details soon…
Tension escalated at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday as impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa made a dramatic return to reclaim his position.
Accompanied by heavily armed men, Obasa stormed the Assembly complex in a bold move that has thrown the State’s legislature into turmoil.
In a stunning turn of events, security details assigned to the substantive Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda, were abruptly withdrawn on Thursday morning, clearing the path for Obasa’s controversial comeback.
Sources revealed that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) ordered the withdrawal of all security operatives attached to Meranda, leaving her exposed in the midst of an intensifying power struggle.
The Speaker’s Special Adviser on Information, Mr. Victor Ganzallo, expressed concern over the security vacuum created by the withdrawal of personnel.
“In the early hours of Thursday, we woke up to the startling news that all security details assigned to Madam Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, had been withdrawn.
This includes the police and DSS officers, leaving her exposed to threats amid the ongoing speakership crisis,” Ganzallo stated.
He further called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as the State’s Chief Security Officer, to intervene urgently to prevent a complete breakdown of law and order within the Assembly.
“The withdrawal of security personnel has left the Assembly naked and vulnerable at a critical time. Urgent action is needed to restore order,” he pleaded.
With the speakership battle taking a dramatic new turn, political watchers are keenly observing how the crisis will unfold in the coming days.
