Author: Chief Editor

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday placed Nairobi and several nearby counties under a partial lockdown, and closed schools and bars in those areas, in an effort to contain the spread of Covid-19. In a national address, Kenyatta ordered “that there shall be a cessation of all movement by road, rail, or air into and out of the disease-infected area… effective midnight tonight” in Nairobi and four other counties where cases are rising fast. Kenya is gripped by a deadly third wave of the pandemic but nearly three-quarters of all cases have been recorded in the capital Nairobi and the…

Norway said on Friday it would extend its suspension of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine until April 15 to allow more time to investigate a potential link to severe blood clotting. The EU’s drugs regulator said last week the vaccine was “safe and effective” and not linked to a higher risk of blood clots, but could not rule out definitively a link to a rare clotting disorder. The World Health Organization has also urged countries to continue using the vaccine, arguing the benefits outweigh any potential risks. “It is a difficult but correct decision to extend the pause for the AstraZeneca vaccine,”…

The Presidency, on Friday, declared that nobody can bring down the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, spoke on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ programme monitored by The PUNCH. Shehu described secession agitators as “charlatans” sponsored to bully the President thinking he will cower or panic. He maintained that the Buhari regime will not be kicked out of power by any group through blackmail. The Presidency stressed that the Buhari regime was democratically elected. It, therefore, advised power-grabbers to wait for two more years to take over…

The federal government has released N288 billion out of the N599 billion appropriated for COVID-19 intervention programmes under its Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP). Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who made this disclosure yesterday at the meeting of the Economic Sustainability Committee (ESC), which he presided over at the State House, Abuja, explained that since the introduction of the ESP few months back no fewer than 2.1 million jobs have been saved, including creation of new ones, while over 4,000km of federal and rural roads are at least 30 per cent completed. While noting the considerable progress recorded, Osinbajo affirmed the President’s…

Ahead of his 69th birthday coming up on Monday, former governor of Lagos State and All Progressives Congress National Stalwart, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is to chair this year’s Arewa House Lecture holding on Saturday in Kaduna. The lecture, which is the 11th edition of the annual Arewa House lecture, will take place at the Arewa House Banquet Hall, Kaduna. According to the organisers of the event, the theme of this year lecture is “Reduction of the Cost of Governance for inclusive Growth and Youth Development in Northern Nigeria in a Post-COVID-19 era.” Plateau State Governor, Mr. Simon Bako Lalong…

President Muhammadu Buhari met behind closed doors with former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, at the State House Abuja on Friday. “President @MBuhari receives in audience former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar (rtd.) at the State House, Abuja,” Personal Assistant on New Media to the President, Bashir Ahmad, tweeted on Friday afternoon. Ahmad did not disclose the agenda of the meeting. [ThisDay]

The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has faulted the collection of N10,000 from Nigerians for visa clearance allegedly at the behest of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Led by Ndudi Elumelu (PDP: Delta), the group argued that the policy would place undue pressure on Nigerians travelling abroad. It enjoined the agency to immediately review the non-refundable fee to an affordable amount while putting measures in place to sensitise the citizens on the issue. The lawmakers pleaded with Nigerians to remain calm and focused in the collective global fight against trafficking in illicit substances and other drug-related…

Akwa Ibom State High Court 2, sitting in Ikot Ekpene, has found Prof. Peter Ogban guilty of an electoral offence and consequently sentenced him to three years imprisonment. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom State had taken Ogban to court on two-count of tampering with results of the northwest Senatorial District in favour of All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2019 general election in the state. Ogban, who is a soil scientist and lectures at the University of Calabar, acted as the collation/returning officer during the National Assembly elections. He was prosecuted for manipulating and falsifying the…

Former champions Spain were held to a 1-1 draw by Greece in their opening 2022 World Cup qualifier on Thursday with the visitors earning a point from a disputed penalty as coach Luis Enrique insisted his side deserved to have been winners. Spain dominated the first half in Granada with Juventus striker Alvaro Morata scoring with a left-foot drive on 33 minutes. At the interval, veteran defender and skipper Sergio Ramos was replaced by Inigo Martinez but the Athletic Bilbao player was at fault for the equaliser just before the hour mark. However, he can count himself unlucky to have…

Zlatan Ibrahimovic made a winning return to international football with Sweden on Thursday after nearly five years away as Germany came out for human rights in their opening qualifier for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Ibrahimovic set up Viktor Claesson’s 35th-minute winner at the Friends Arena just outside Stockholm in his 117th appearance for his national team, his first since Euro 2016. The AC Milan forward had to hold back the tears as he spoke to reporters on Monday about his international football comeback, and he was in good spirits after a win that puts Sweden top of Group…