Author: Chief Editor

A case of Lassa fever, an acute viral haemorrhagic illness, has been recorded in the south of Guinea, the health authorities announced. The virus was found in a 17-year-old girl from Kassadou, in the Gueckedou area where an epidemic has been declared, the health ministry said late Friday, calling her condition “satisfactory”. A local laboratory identified the virus on April 20 and a second test in Conakry confirmed it, the ministry added. Trace and contact efforts were underway in surrounding villages, but no other cases have so far been found. Lassa fever belongs to the same family as the Ebola…

ADDS more than a million children have received at least one vaccine dose Hundreds of thousands of people, mostly children living in Africa, succumb every year to malaria, an age-old mosquito-borne scourge that worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 627,000 people died of malaria in 2020, the latest year for which figures are available — an increase of 12 percent over 2019. Ahead of World Malaria Day on Monday, AFP takes a look at this notorious disease and the excitement surrounding new vaccines. Half the world at risk Malaria is a threat to half…

Arsenal took control of the battle to finish in the Premier League top four with a 3-1 win over Manchester United to all but end the Red Devils’ hopes of Champions League football next season. Nuno Tavares, Bukayo Saka and Granit Xhaka struck for Mikel Arteta’s men to move them three points clear of Tottenham, who face Brentford later on Saturday. Sixth-placed United are six points adrift of the top four and could miss out on European football completely next season. Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 22nd goal of the season on his return to the United side after missing Tuesday’s…

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has insisted that he will not step down from the 2023 presidential race. Wike, who is a presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party, said this during an interview with BBC Pigin. The PUNCH had reported that some chieftains of the PDP had demanded that the presidential candidate of the party should be picked through consensus. But Wike said only death would make him step down for another PDP candidate in the 2023 presidential election. When asked if he would step down for another candidate, Wike said, “Why will I step down for anybody? If you…

Premier League leaders Manchester City and their relentless challengers Liverpool will expect to stay neck and neck in the title race after this weekend’s matches. In the battle for top four places, Arsenal can deliver a hammer blow to Manchester United’s hopes, while Chelsea can’t avoid another slip against West Ham. No margin for error in title race Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City will have to hold off one of the best teams ever if they are to pip Liverpool to the title. Guardiola’s side are one point clear of second-placed Liverpool after both teams won comfortably in midweek. With…

Ayo Olukotun Nigerians in these vulnerable and harsh times trudge on like a species of humanity sentenced to lifelong imprisonment with hard labour. To grasp this scenario, you must have some familiarity with Yoruba mythic literature illustrated by Daniel Fagunwa’s book entitled, My Journey in a Forest of a Thousand Daemons. These were journeys without maps, without known destinations, full of dread and uncertainties. In like manner, Nigerians are not sure if the 2023 elections will hold or not, neither are they certain about when their wards will graduate from our strike-ridden universities, a consequence of an anti-intellectual temperament in…

Fola Ojo HE is my friend and brother. A man of substantial means and grit. He has a wide and broad network among Nigeria’s men of might. His name rings a bell in great circles in Nigeria; permit me to keep his identity to myself. My brother studied in England in the ‘80s. Immediately after his graduation, he packed his luggage and headed back to Lagos. If Nigeria is burning, my brother prefers to stay burrowed in the country of his birth. If it’s raining hails and blowing high winds, he’ll stay embedded in its shreds. Come hell and…

Civil society organisations (CSOs) under the auspices of Conference of Northern States Civil Society Networks, has urged President Muhammudu Buhari to stop demoralising the nation’s anti-corruption agencies and focus on tackling its pressing economic woos. The CSOs described the granting of pardon to former Governors Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame of Plateau and Taraba States by President Buhari as unfortunate and shocking. In a statement issued to journalists yesterday by its Chairman, Ambassador Ibrahim Waiya,  the group admonished Buhari to, as matter of urgency, reverse his decision on state pardon granted to the corruption convicts in the interest of Nigerian citizens. The…

Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday reacted to calls that he should contest for President, saying  “I cannot tell you I am declaring now, but the political process is still ongoing.” Jonathan stated this in Abuja while addressing supporters, mostly youth and women who called on him to contest for 2023 presidency. The supporters who spoke through Comrade Mayor Samuel asked the former president to forgive them because they were deceived by “saboteurs”. He  said their eyes were now opened because those that deceived them were empty. Samuel urged Jonathan to rescue the country from insecurity, hunger, unemployment, among others.…

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has denied a viral report that its helmsman, Babagana Monguno accused Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai of divulging classified information. A statement by the ONSA, made available by the Head, Strategic Communication, Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Usman, said the attention of the Office of the National Security Adviser was drawn to some online news reports following a Press Briefing at the end of the Security Council Meeting held on April 21, 2022. “The reports quoted the National Security Adviser Maj. General Babagana Monguno (Rtd) out of context. The NSA…