Television Nigerian

The Ondo State Government has suspended COVID-19 restrictions for the celebration of Easter on Sunday.

This was made known by Donald Ojogo, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, in a press statement on Wednesday.

Ojogo disclosed that this is necessary as Easter is “one of the most important annual celebrations of the Church”.

He, however, warned that there would be no “Good Friday retreats, Jumat on Friday or ‘Gallilee’ on Monday.:

The Commissioner added that the ban on all social, political and religious gatherings continues afterwards, until further notice.

Read full statement below:

The State acknowledges concerns expressed in many quarters in respect of the above subject matter. This is especially in relation to the last Government Statement on the sustenance of the anti-COVID 19 measures put in place vis a vis the public statement issued by the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN) on same.

Government deems it necessary to clarify that much as it appreciates public concern over this matter, there is no need for any misgivings. As a matter of fact, the position of CAN and the Government Statement should be seen as mutually inclusive.

CAN’s statement is explicit enough that Government had graciously granted a special relief to enable Christians celebrate Easter Sunday, being one of the most important annual celebrations of the Church. That is the true position; more so that the word ‘restriction’ advisedly applied to provide the caveat for this special concession in line with crowd control regulations.

Accordingly, the State Government has already communicated to the Ondo State Police Command, this concession granted CAN to, as it were, temporise and allow the celebration of Easter Sunday in CHURCHES.

This is, however, without prejudice to all precautionary measures and guidelines earlier put in place to contain the spread of the pandemic as enunciated in Government’s earlier statements and as agreed to by the leadership of CAN.

For emphasis, there will be no Easter Retreat (Good Friday Programmes) or the Jumat service gatherings on Friday or ‘Gallilee’ on Monday. The ban on all social, political and religious gatherings continues afterwards, until further notice.

As the nation continues to grapple  with the dreaded coronavirus, the Federal Government would welcome any support it can get from all stakeholders.

The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) have backed the measures taken by the President Muhammadu-led administration and pledged to avail free and regular power supply for two months.

ANED reckoned this is a necessity to mitigate the hardships that are currently being borne by customers and other citizens all over the country.

In a statement signed by Barr Sunday Oduntan, ANED’s Executive Director (Research & Advocacy) and Spokesman for all the DISCOS, on Wednesday, the group assured of its commitment to work with all stakeholders for more efficient power supply within this difficult period.

ANED, however, urged Nigerians to stay at home and stay safe.

Read full statement below:

The Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOS) recognise the challenging effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the economic and daily lives of our customers. In fulfilment our commitments to the nation, we hereby align ourselves with the efforts of the National Assembly and the Federal Executive to mitigate the hardships that are currently being borne by our customers and other citizens all over the country.

We commend the Federal Legislators, the Executive arm and The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for their initiative and we are committed to working with them to ensure more efficient power supply within this difficult period, as the nation battles with the ravages of COVID-19.

We are also completely aligned with the plans to ensure palliative measures, including free electricity supply to all Nigerians for two months, to make life easier, during the lockdown period. Details of implementation to come soon.

Again, as a key utility player in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), we hereby reiterate our commitment to improving service delivery to the nation during this pandemic period and thereafter.

Please stay home and stay safe.


God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

By Lawrence Audu

Following the circulation of an old story published in 2015 by some social media handlers alleging that the Nigerian Army has been absent in the fight against Boko Haram and that it is the Chadian Army alone that is battling the insurgents, some of the residents in the North-east have reacted to the issues describing it as “an attempt to demoralize the Nigerian troops.’’

A cross section of the residents who spoke to our correspondents in Borno, Gombe and Bauchi states on Wednesday said issues of security remains a very sensitive matter which must not be politicized, trivialized or peddled as fake news.

Alhaji Idrissa Babakura, a resident of Maiduguri said Nigeria supports Chadian forces in routing Boko Haram and President Idriss Déby of Chad has revealed that the Nigerian government supported his country’s Military onslaught against Boko Haram.

Deby who has relocated from Ndjamena to Baga Sola in the Lac Region said Nigeria provided “fairly substantial equipment,” in support of Operation Anger of Bohoma. The Chadian leader spoke on Monday when a parliamentary delegation made up of the ruling party and the opposition visited him in Ndjamena.

Malam Ibrahim Kawu, a rice farmer from Dadin-Kowa in Gombe state said it is discouraging for anyone to share fake story when there are successes in the fight against insurgency.

“Before 2015, we know how we were living and how we now live. The difference is clear and the army under Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai has done a good job. You cannot be online and be circulating nonsense just for motives that we don’t understand.

“We are on ground and we felt the heat of insurgency but today we owe our peace to the Army. We do our farming activities without any fear or intimidation,’’ he said.

Alhaji Mohammed Usman, a civil servant from Bauchi said: “We have to be fair to the Army. They have done a fine job from 2015 and whatever story or stories being circulated should not be used to demoralise our security agents.

“This is because it has a way of discouraging the Army who has really done well for all of us. The peace that we now enjoy must be sustained through massive support for the troops who are at the frontline of these battles.

Usman said government must initiate punitive measures to ensure that anyone who uses the social media or any platform to circulate fake news is punished to send a strong message to others.

“This is a threat to our collective existence as a nation. Fake news for any purpose must be discouraged and fought to a standstill.

Hajiyah Aishatu Idris, a resident of Nafada, one of the border towns in Gombe said though there is still work to be done in the Northeast “There should be no denial of the successes being recorded in the fight against insurgents.

“The army has done a lot and today Gombe state is safe and we are grateful to Allah. We must continue to pray for the Army and its current leadership for being professional, patriotic and committed to sustaining peace.”

By Lawrence Audu

The Nigerian Army has procured and commissioned 55 Buffalo 4-Wheel vehicles to increase the mobility and combat efficiency of its personnel in mission areas, especially the ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram terrorists and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the North East.

The commissioning on Wednesday in Abuja was by the Chief of Logistics Nigerian Army, Major General Joel Uniugbe, who represented the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai. Uniugbe said this was a strategic directive of the Chief of Staff for year 2020 to sustain a responsive and professional Nigerian Army in its unrelenting fight against insurgency in the North-East.

He believes that the newly acquired vehicles would ease the troops’ mobility, movement of logistics and combat manoeuvres. “The model of vehicle is an asset and indeed force multiplier particularly in the North East terrain where the Armed Forces of Nigeria is conducting operations against Boko Haram criminals,” he said.

He assured that the Nigerian Army will continue to defend the nation from both the external and internal threats, as well as providing aids to civil authority in other national emergencies.

He commended the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari for his committed leadership and support to the Nigerian Army. The commissioned vehicles include Toyota Hiluxes, Buffaloes, Innoson Motor Vehicles, Peugeot among others.