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Nigeria Have Crossed 100,000 Mark For Confirmed Cases Of COVID-19, Mamora

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Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnibe Mamora
Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnibe Mamora

The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnibe Mamora has hinted that Nigeria have crossed the 100,000 mark for confirmed cases of COVID-19, an evidence of increasing infection.

He also said that, about 100,087 cases have been confirmed while 80,030 cases have been discharged since this Pandemic began.

Mamora gave this hint at the Presidential Task force on COVID-19 yesterday in Abuja, while adding that they have also sadly recorded 1,358 deaths in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Saying, in the last 24 hours, 1,024 new confirmed cases were recorded in 17 states with 8 deaths. ​The case fatality rate stands at 1.36%.

Mamora stated that, “So far, we have tested a total of 1,025,560 people with a positivity rate of 9.8%. Our testing rate in the last few weeks has increased as we continue to engage states to scale up their case finding and testing. We are working to meet our target of testing 2 million Nigerians within the shortest period.

“The result from the tests conducted on prospective NYSC members has incontrovertibly confirmed that no part of the country is free of COVID-19 disease. We safely and comfortably draw this conclusion because corps members are mobilized from all the states of the country for each of the orientation camps.

“With the increased number of confirmed cases, the number of active cases has increased. As of today, we have 18,699 active cases on treatment both in facility and in the community using the treatment protocols. Many of the active cases may require care in one of the treatment or isolation centres thus imposing enormous burden on our facilities.

He continued; “The report that many of those who died, reported late for treatment at the approved centres because they were referred late from private facilities is alarming. We therefore once again seize this opportunity to urge health care practitioners to promptly send all suspected cases for testing and when positive, refer them to isolation centres for treatment. Attempting to treat suspected or confirmed cases not only exposes the health workers in such a facility to risk of infection but also denies the patient early access to effective treatment in an approved treatment centre”.

The Minister further hinted that, the plan of the Federal Government regarding activation of oxygen availability in the States is on course with a view to effecting immediate repairs of non-functional oxygen plants.

He added that, the weekly Case Management Partners Coordination forum for 2021 is set to recommence on Wednesday 13th January, 2021. This is an avenue for continuous interface with different actors in case management towards engendering experience sharing.

He, however, reminded Nigerians , that COVID-19 is real but preventable. While we await the vaccines, we are enjoined to observe all non-pharmaceutical measures. Wear your face masks appropriately especially when out of your house, wash your hands with soap and water regularly or use hand sanitizer where necessary and avoid unnecessary travels.

He added that there is the need to avoid crowding as we see in people under the guise of National Identity Number Enrollment. There is absolutely no cause for this, if only people would voluntarily comply with advisories and guidelines as issued by the Ministry of Communications and its relevant Agency.

The statement credited to me on the social media as to the suspension of the exercise is out of context, hence misleading. For the
avoidance of doubt, Mr President’s order on the matter remains as being carried out by the relevant Ministry.

AMML Receives COVID-19 Preventive Items, Vows To Fight Pandemic

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Abuja Market Management Limited (AMML) has reiterated its commitment to fight COVID-19 pandemic in it’s Market in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to stop the further spread of the pandemic.

The will be made possible by ensuring that all pharmaceutical protocols put in place by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 is observed strictly in all markets controlled by them.

Managing Director AMML, Ibrahim Uzaibat gave this hint during a presentation of Waist Management and COVID-19 Appliances to Wuse Market Donated by Laurmann Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.

He, however, noted that since the advent of the second wave of COVID-19, the Organisation has carried out adequate sensitization and monitoring to ensure every traders and customers in the market observer the protocol.

While commending the donor for the donation of the items, Uzaibat noted that before now, AMML and Market Managers have since stepped up all activities aimed at battling the Covid 19 pandemic especially adherence to non pharmaceutical protocols.

He further noted that , AMML have a closer working relationship with Traders Association and the Ministerial task team on Covid 19 such that a trader, a shopper, or any other user of the market who flouts any of the protocols shall be made to face the full weight of the law.

Uzaibat , also encourage other stakeholders to take a queue from donating more items to the market noted that the appliances donated will be deployed to add up to all other efforts by AMML, Traders Association and other partners in the fight of this disease.

Earlier, the Director General of the Environmental company, Laurie Manaygin and the donor of the items, who described Wuse Market as the cleanest and better organized market in West Africa noted the his organization will continue to support the market to ensure clean environment and COVID-19 free.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Wuse Market trader Association Okorie Samuel in his remark noted that the Authority of the Market under his watch has taken issue of COVID-19 serious as no face mask now entry of the market both traders and buyers.

A total of ten sets of resecled waste bin and ten numbers of wash hand bucket for COVID-19 was donated and handover to Wuse Market Traders Association.

However Reports from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) official tweeter handle for January 11 shows that Nigeria has tested 1,025,560 samples for Covid 19, out of which 99,063 cases were confirmed while deaths cases recorded stood at 1,350 and recovery at 79,417 while 18,296 active cases are being monitored closely with FCT having 13,406 confirmed cases coming second as the state with the most infected.

Bello Says FG Special Public Works Programme Have Direct Impact On Communities

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has hinted that the Federal Government Special Public works Programme will see to the engagement of 774,000 Nigerians across all the Local Government Areas in the federation.

While adding that, it will have a direct positive impact on the development of communities across the country.

The Minister made this known during the flag off ceremony of the programme for Adamawa State at Ribadu Square, Yola, on Tuesday.

Bello in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Anthony Ogunleye stated that, the programme in which 21,000 young men and women from the 21 local government areas of the State will be constructively engaged for 3 months, is intended to mitigate the negative socio-economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He, however , revealed that the beneficiaries of the programme will be engaged in the provision of services critical to the rehabilitation and maintenance of public and social infrastructure in communities across state, while adding that the initiative demonstrated quite clearly the efforts and determination of the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to identify with, and protect the most vulnerable members of the society.

Speaking further Bello Said, “The successful implementation of this programme and other social investment programmes such as the N.Power and Conditional Cash Transfer shows clearly that Mr President cares very much about the ordinary Nigerian and is willing to go to great lengths to ensure their welfare and wellbeing”

He, however, called on the beneficiaries to therefore justify their inclusion by being diligent and dedicated in the discharge of their duties while commending the National Directorate of employment and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment for initiating the programme.

The FCT Minister also commended the Adamawa State Governor for his support of Federal Government Projects in the State.

His words , “I wish to publicly and sincerely thank his Excellency, the Executive Governor of Adamawa State for being receptive to all Federal Government projects in the State. He has been a supporter of all the programmes of Mr President that are meant to provide the needed support to our teeming population”.

At the event were the Deputy Governor of Adamawa State, Chief Crowther Seth, who represented the Executive the Governor, Secretary to the State Government, Mallam, Ahmed Bashir, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Prof. Maxwell Gidado and the Galadima Adamawa Alh Mustapha Aminu, Who represented the Lamido of Adamawa.

Also present were the Adamawa State Coordinator of the NDE, Mallam Ibrahim Faisal and representative of the Ag Director General of the NDE, Mrs Joyce Nanre, Deputy Director, Women employment Branch.

COVID-19: FCTA Demolishes 5 Wrestling, Drama Theatres, Arrests 25

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Vexed by the continued violations of its COVID-19 pharmaceutical guidelines , the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has pulled down five local wrestling and drama theatres popularly called “Gidan Drama” and “Gidan Dembe”.

The demolition exercise which took place at Dakibiyu, Gwarimpa 1 and Sector Centre districts, had armed personnel of the Nigerian Police, State Security Services SSS and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC.

However, the Head, Media, Public Enlightenment and Advocacy of the FCT Ministerial Enforcement Taskforce, Comrade Ikharo Attah said “the removal of the structures became inevitable following repeated warnings to the owners and operators of the Gidan Drama and Gidan Dembe to stop operations because they are prohibited to so do under the COVID-19 Protocols and Guidelines”

According to him; “Thousands of persons gather in these local entertainment centres to watch artistes and wrestlers perform. In one of the centres, we observed during surveillance that thousands gather to watch nude dancers. Facemasks, physical distancing and sanitizing of the hands do not exist here at all”.

He, however, appealed to Kannywood actors and actresses who sometimes make appearances in these centres to desist from coming here. If we get them here we will arrest and charge them to court regardless of their fame and status.

He urged those patronising the centres to desist from doing so if they hope not to contract the dreaded virus.

Meanwhile, the Taskforce also arraigned 25 persons including motorists and commuters for violating the health protocols.

Attah hinted that , “most of the commercial drivers arrested carried too many passengers and overloaded their vehicles in contravention of the COVID-19 Transportation Guidelines and Protocols”.

He disclosed that one of the drivers who identified himself as Garba was sentenced to one week imprisonment for assaulting a police personnel attached to the taskforce and ramming his car into a police van while trying to evade arrest.

FG SIGNS USS1.959 BILLION KANO-MARADI RAILWAY LINE

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As parts of its promise to link the whole country by rail, the Federal Government has signed the Memorandum of Understanding with Mota- Engil Group on the construction of US$1.959 billion Kano-Maradi Standard Gauge Railway lines.

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi in a statement signed by the Director Press and Public Relations Eric Ojiekwe and made available to journalists in Abuja stated that the Minister signed on behalf of the Federal Government, while the Managing Director, Mota- Engil, Antonio Gvoea signed on behalf of the contracting firm.


The new railway corridor which is to be located in northern Nigeria will run through three states: Kano, Jigawa and Katsina and through Niger territory as far as Maradi. Other cities that will be affected by the rail line in Nigeria are: Danbatta, Kazaure, Daura, Mashi, Katsina and Jibiya.


The 283.750 kilometre rail line besides developing freight and passenger transport as it will be integrated with road transport, will make a great contribution to the local economy as well as an important development in the social sector.


The statement further stated that, the project duration is for 36 months and the contract type is Engineering, Procurement and Construction.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani and the Director, Legal Services, Pius Oteh, the Managing Director, Mota-Engil Group, Antonio Gvoea, Head of Legal, Mota- Engil Group, Cameron Beverley, Magajin Garin Kano, Muhammad Wada, Director, Mota-Engil Group, Kola Abdulkarim, Vice President, Mota-Engil Group. Mohammed Abdul-Razaq, Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Yusfu Tuggar, the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala-Usman among other diginitaries.

ASSU Suspends Nine Months Strike

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The Academic Staff Union Of Universities (ASSU) has conditionally suspended the nine months strike embarked upon by the union on 23rd March, 2020.


The suspension takes effect from 12am on Thursday 24th December 2020.

Announcing the suspension of the industrial action at a Press Conference in Abuja, at the end of its emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in the early hours of Wednesday, the President of ASSU Prof Biodun Ogunyemi said that the decision to suspend the strike came after diligent and careful appraisal of the various reports, especially the agreements reached by ASSU with the Federal Government of Nigeria on the 22nd December 2020.

He said that some of the issues in dispute like funding for revitalisation of public universities, payment of Earned Academic Allowances, salary shortfall, withheld salaries and Non-remittance of Check-off Dues etc were discussed at the stakeholders’ meeting on 22nd March 2020 and conclusion reached using the memorandum of Action MoA of 7th February, 2019 as basis.

“On our part we are going back to rekindle the motivation and aspirations in our members to strive to encourage our students to excel, in all the expectations that governments will sincerely fulfill their own part of the bargain, ” he said.

NEC resolved to accept the agreement reached between ASUU and the Federal Government on Dec. 22. To also consciously and diligently monitor the implementation of Federal Government ASUU agreements of Dec. 22, in all branches.

He also said that union expects that government and ASUU re-negotiation exercise would be concluded as specified in the timeline agreed by both parties, among others.

“However, should government fail to fulllfil its own parts of the agreement, ASUU will resume its suspended strike as deemed necessary.

“NEC also resolved to ensure that no ASUU member suffered any loss of deserved benefits as a result if participation in the strike, ” he said.

He said that NEC would pursue fervently the areas in the Federal Government-ASUU agreement of 2009 and Memorandum of Action (MoA) 2013 that require legislation.

Ogunyemi also said that ASUU expectation from both state and Federal Government is that government should faithfully implement all the agreements reached and signed with the union.

“Therefore the implementation Monitorng Committee (IMC), which had already been constituted to the satisfaction of government and ASUU, will work diligently to ensure that funds released are used to meet genuine revitalization needs of Nigerian public universities.

“This is with a strike and disciplined supervision of the implementation processes by the universitas themselves. To this end the students and their parents would see the fruits of the struggles of ASUU in their lives.

“The union expects the immediate release of EAA as agreed, the mainstreaming of EAA into annual budget using the agree formula.

“The union also expects government to immediately engage the universitas and other research centers in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

Amaechi Charges APM Terminals To Cooperate With Contractor To Deliver Apapa Rail Line by January, 2020

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The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has charged APM Terminals to allow China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) the Contractor handling the Ebuta Meta – Apapa seaports railway extension access to ensure its completion by January, 2021.

Amaechi stated this during an inspection of the terminal, he said the January date for the commissioning of Apapa Extention 2 railway alongside that of Lagos-Ibadan railway remains sacrosanct.
He therefore appeal for cooperation from all stakeholders.

“We have already told the President, that we are commissioning in January. Now, I am working towards that time. We must achieve that time”, he said.

The Minister further said, “the moment we begin movement of cargo from Lagos to Ibadan, then the Lagos gridlock will reduce drastically and that’s my objective in January”.

Earlier, the Country Manager of APM Terminal, Klaus Laursen, showed the Minister the monitoring station which gives real time information on what is happening in all sections of the terminal, saying ” the essence is to have it here to control and monitor cargoes coming in and going out of the terminal.”

According to him, they decided to introduce one in Nigeria as it is the trend in Shanghai and other global towns where similar operations take place.

While acknowledging the fact that the terminal is not where it is supposed to be, Laursen, said they were putting the right facilities in place to encourage productivity.

NLC Fumes Over Governors’ Move To Borrow From Pension Funds

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Ayuba wabba

The Nigeria Labour Congress has objected the recent moves by State Governors Forum to borrow from the Pension funds.


The NLC President Comrade Ayuba Wabba made the objection in Abuja as special guest of Honor at the 47th National Executive Council meeting of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria.

Ayuba who sounded a strict warning over the moves, said that the governors are planning to reap where they did not sow, their request is dead on arrival.

The number one worker in Nigeria stated this against the backdrop of plans by the 36 state governors to approach the National Pension Commission to borrow the sum of N17trillion for infrastructural development.

According to the NLC President, its unconstitutional and unacceptable for governors to contemplate going to access money that is meant for retirement of Nigerian workers.

He said, “We are waiting for them, just imagine you have a savings account and somebody, an outsider will just come and collect money from your account, its not done anywhere, we would never accept it.

“We should be ready, whenever the leadership of NLC will call you out to protest because we will use the last blood in our veins to protest our savings”.

Recall that while the Social Economic Rights and Accountability Project SERAP had asked President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the governors from borrowing the money, the idea to approach the pension funds managers was reached at the National Economic Council meeting, where Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai serves as Adhoc Committee Chairman.

Earlier, the President of Medical and Health Workers Union, Comrade Biobelemoye Joy had called for economic restructuring, rather than dissipating energy on the amalgamation and political structuring of Nigeria.

According to MHWUN, that a hundred years after amalgamation and sixty years after independence, Nigerians are still grappling with the intricacies of how to live together, is quite a misnomer.

His words, “As a union, we believe rather than tackling settled issues, we should concern ourselves with how to come out of the structural gridlock that bad leadership has thrown the country into and instead restructure the nation’s economy so that the potentials that abound in the country could be realized and subsequently set us on a path of wealth generation and job creation.

“I therefore feel the recurring calls for restructuring should be clearly defined and aligned from a development point of view and the attendant benefits to the country.

“It should be centred around the ambition of stimulating economic activities to improve the wellbeing of Nigerians, it should also be about how to make every part of the country to get involved in productive economic activities and generate wealth to our people. It is all about equity, justice, fair and equitable dealing in marshalling out the dividends of democracy”.

FG Reduces Fuel Price By N5

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Chris Ngige Minister of Labour
Chris Ngige Minister of Labour

The battle between the Federal government and labour over the alarming hike in Premium Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol yielded result as the Federal Government finally succumbed to the pressure from organised labour and reduced the present price of PMS with N5.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, announced this to journalists after a meeting that elapsed into the early hours of Tuesday with the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), which held at Old Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, said the reduction would be from N168 to N162.44 per litre with effect from December 14.
The product is presently sold at N168, following the decision of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company to increase the ex-depot price of petrol from N147.67 per litre to N155.17 per litre in November.

The ex-depot price is the price at which the product is sold by the PPMC to marketers at the depots.

According to Ngige, a technical committee has been set up to ensure price stability in the industry, noting that the committee, which will report back to the larger house on January 25 will appraise the market forces and other things that would ensure stability in the industry.

“Our discussion was fruitful and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation which is the major importer and marketers of petroleum products and customers have agreed that there will be a slide down of the pump price of PMS and that the price cut will get us about N5 per litre and that the price cut will take effect from next Monday, a week today,” Ngige told journalists.

The minister explained that the price reduction was not meant to suspend deregulation because it did not affect the price of crude oil but on areas where the NNPC as the main importer had agreed that it could cut cost like freight and demurrage costs.

He argued that the reduction of new price was a product of a joint committee of NNPC and labour representatives which looked into ways of cutting costs.

The minister further said that both sides agreed to wait till the next meeting date on January 25 to enable the special committee dealing with complaints to conclude their deliberations electricity tariff.

Earlier before the meeting entered a closed-door, government officials led by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, had hailed NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, who was absent at two previous meetings.

In his reaction, the President Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba confirmed the earlier position of the minister, saying that the agreement was reached by both parties.

Family Planning Expert Lauds FG On Release Of $4 Million Counterpart Fund

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The Chairman, Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP), Dr Ejike Orji has commended the Federal Government for releasing four Million Dollars counterpart fund (which is about N1.6 million) for the purchase of Family Planning (FP) commodities in the Nigeria.

He, however, noted that, the amount was inadequate, compared with the N26 Million projected amount required for the country’s family planning commodity purchase annually.

Orji , therefore called on State governments to key into the Federal Government’s Family Planning concept and develop cost implementation plan for their states.

The Chairman also commended the Federal Government’s readiness to project family planning by establishing a demographic dividend office, headed by the Vice President, saying “that shows commitment to the  purpose.

He added that, President Muhammadu  Buhari has directed the 42 regular course of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, near Jos, to focus on the issue of population growth challenges and human capital development.

His words; “The Federal Government had developed a National Population Policy in 2014, and is currently being reviewed.

“The  government also developed the Family Planning Blueprint, all geared toward increased uptake of FP and making it a norm so that families can have the number of children they can take care of”, he stated.

Orji, also stressed the importance of family planning toward increased Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and national development, emphasised the relationship between family planning and poverty, saying “the absence of one can cause the other.”

He also stressed the need for Nigeria to take over the whole funding of the country’s family planning needs, adding that population had become a strategic security issue globally.

“I will like to see Nigeria take over family planning funding because population has become a strategic security issue globally now,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Orji hinted that the AAFP and partners is scheduled for 6th Nigeria Family Planning Conference 2020 for Dec. 7 to Dec. 11 in Abuja, where it hoped to bring together youths, religious and traditional leaders, policy makers and other stakeholders to brainstorm on changing the landscape of FP in Nigeria.

The theme of the conference is “Post 2020 Agenda and Safeguarding Investment in Emergencies, Adaption, Innovation, Resilience” to be held both physically/virtually.

Topics to be discussed include demography, myths around family planning, increase in advocacy and innovation, with focus on not allowing COVID-19 to stop family planning gains, among others