Author: Prompt News

A private sector-led Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID), has donated more extraction kits and silicon swabs to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) toward enhancing COVID-19 tests in the country. Herbert Wigwe, Managing Director, Access Bank, in a statement on Sunday in Lagos, said CACOVID released 140 extraction kits, which translates to 14,000 tests to strengthen government’s response to tackle and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wigwe said that the coalition was concerned that the availability of test kits had become a challenge in fighting the virus. According to him, before the end of May, CACOVID will bring…

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Mr Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant (Electronic Media), to Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers, is dead. Nwakaudu’s death was announced in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, in Port Harcourt on Sunday. According to Nsirim, Gov. Wike has expressed shock over the incident. The statement quoted Wike as describing Nwakaudu as “a loyal and dedicated professional, who contributed immensely to the implementation of ‘The NEW Rivers Vision’. “The governor has condoled with the family of the bereaved on behalf of the government and good people of the state. “He has also prayed God to grant…

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The Police Command in Lagos State on Sunday said it arrested 1,872 people in the last two weeks, over violation of the restriction order in place to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Bala Elkana, gave the figure in a press statement in Lagos. Elkana said that the suspects were charged to mobile court by the command’s legal team at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Yaba. According to him, 1,833 accused persons pleaded guilty to the one count charge brought against them and were convicted. “The remaining 39 accused persons…

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The Plateau Government on Sunday announced the first death resulting from COVID-19 in the state. Gov. Simon Lalong, made the announcement during a media briefing on the update of COVID-19 in Plateau at Government House, Jos. Lalong explained that the patient died before his result of COVID -19 which read positive came out. “As at today, we have successfully treated and discharged 10 infected persons including the index case who have all been reunited with their families. “The other 22 infected persons are still undergoing treatment and in stable condition. Sadly, one suspect whose sample was taken died yesterday before…

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A total of 130 trucks conveying foodstuffs were allowed into Zamfara in the last one week by the Presidential Task Team on movement of food and agricultural products in the state.The state Chairman of the team, who is also the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Usman Nagogo, disclosed this on Sunday in Gusau.Nagogo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the team had also facilitated the passage of several trucks of food and agricultural products from Zamfara to other parts of the country.“We are trying to make sure that the presidential directive to allow foodstuff and all…

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By Tony Obiechina, Abuja Following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, and the crashing of crude oil price to as low as $22 per barrel in the international market, the federal government had pegged the oil price at $30 for the 2020 Budget.But a foremost economist and senior lecturer at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Prof Uche Uwaleke has frowned at Nigeria’s position describing it as unrealistic.He said in statement made available to Prompt News in Abuja, that with crashing of crude oil, it would be “unrealistic to stick to $30 dollar per barrel in view of unfavourable developments in the international crude oil market and against…

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Nigerian Government has impounded an aircraft owned by a British company for conducting commercial flights operation into Nigeria amid COVID-19 lockdown.This was announced on Sunday by Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, via official Twitter handle @hadisirika.The Minister said the company, Flair Aviation, was given the approval to conduct humanitarian flights but was caught operating commercial flights.According to Sirika’s tweet, while the aircraft remains impounded, the crew is currently being interrogated. He also threatened that there will be a maximum penalty.“COVID-19. Flair Aviation, a UK company, was given approval for humanitarian operations but regrettably, we caught them conducting commercial flights. This…

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Madagascar has registered its first coronavirus death, a 57-year-old medical worker who suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure, the national COVID-19 taskforce said on Sunday. Taskforce spokeswoman Hanta Danielle Vololontiana said in a televised statement that the man died on Saturday night. “A man died from COVID-19 in Madagascar … he is 57 years old and a member of the medical staff,” she said.

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Dr Cairo Ojougboh, Executive Director, Projects, Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says no amount of blackmail will stop the commission’s ongoing forensic audit. He said this in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Mr Gabriel Choba, on Sunday in Abuja. Ojougboh was reacting to reports quoting him as saying that he would leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) come 2023, and return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The NDDC director described the allegation as “pure blackmail and campaign of calumny by those opposed to the forensic audit in the commission”.…

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The Premier League in England hopes “Project Restart” will move a step closer to becoming reality on Monday. This is when clubs hold an emergency meeting to vote on a return to group training amid the coronavirus pandemic. Should at least 14 of the 20 clubs agree that safety protocols are sufficient, players are likely to return to a limited first phase of group training on Tuesday. Sunday should have been the final day of the Premier League season but the coronavirus outbreak meant the league was suspended in March with 92 fixtures remaining. The Government last week opened the…

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