Television Nigerian

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has deferred his retirement by “two more years” after the coronavirus lockdown made him realise how much he will miss football when he finishes his career.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought the global sport to a virtual standstill with events postponed, suspended or cancelled. The Premier League season has been suspended until at least April 30 after several players tested positive for the virus.

ALSO READ: Lockdown: Open food reserve centres for Nigerians now, PDP Reps tell Buhari

After an injury-plagued 2018-19 campaign, De Bruyne was back to his best this season, leading the league with 16 assists and on course to break the Premier League record of 20 in a season before the league was suspended last month.

“I told my wife I’m going to play a little longer,” De Bruyne, 28, said in a live video on his Instagram page. “After this lockdown, I cannot stay at home. I told her I’m going to take two years more.

ALSO READ: Boateng fined for leaving Munich and visiting sick son ‘without permission’

“It’s time to play football again. I miss it and it’s difficult. But we are not important, football is not important. People love football, but you need to stay safe.”

De Bruyne said he and his family were in self-isolation after his children fell ill last month, which is why he did not travel back to his native Belgium.

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Boss Mustapha

…Moves to control Nomadic Herdsmen

…Tasks states on establishment of 300-bed ‘holding’ centres…Fake News distracting from fight against Covid-19…Says, Jack Ma’s donations to Nigeria, not contaminated

By  Omeiza Ajayi

The federal government has explained the spike in the number of Covid-19 infections in the country, blaming it on the porous nature of Nigeria’s land borders and predicting that soon, there could be more infections in the eastern flank of the country as people move on foot across borders.

Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha who stated this yesterday during the daily briefing of the Taskforce, added that the federal government would also put in place measures to control the movement of nomadic herdsmen who go across the border in search of greener pastures for their cattle.

Also read: COVID-19 Lockdown: FETS, other payment providers commence disbursement of FG conditional cash

On the border issue and movement of herdsmen, the SGF said; “This is a very serious issue because as they move around, sometimes they go in search of pastures across borders. It is a major challenge. We will look at that and begin to address it. But that also comes to one fundamental issue that has been very topical in the last one or two years. That is whether we need to make provision of land in our constituencies so that we can domesticate this nomadic pasturing. From one issue, it dovetailed into another. If we eventually get that done, this kind of issue will not arise. I acknowledge that yes, as long as they cross borders, they create a problem for tracking, for infection, because our neighbouring countries are not isolated from this pandemic right now.

“The report we are getting is that some of the infections that have surfaced, not confirmed though, from Akwa Ibom and some of the ones that might begin to show across the eastern flank will be as a result of people crossing just on foot across from other borders into Nigeria.

“We will be looking at that with the Minister of Interior to see how we can enforce those closures on the land borders through the established, designated outlays and also the porous areas that we have not been able to cover with facilities to restrict movements across the borders. You know we come from a long history of relationship with our neighbours that has shifted over the years. That has made substantially a long stretch of our borders to be porous and communities live across each other. That is an accident of history that we must live with, but we must find solutions for them”, Mustapha added.

300-bed Holding Centres

The federal government also appealed to state governments to establish an expandable 300-bed capacity facility to hold suspected cases of the Novel Coronavirus before they are transferred into the isolation and treatment centres.

Making the plea, the SGF said; “We recognize strongly, the importance of synergy with the states. It is important that states, whether in the front line where cases have been reported or where cases have not been reported to intensify the preparation of facilities that will help in the event of a surge. Training of personnel in the management of these facilities is also a critical factor to the success of our strategy. The PTF shall intensify consultations with the Governors and other state agencies to achieve the much-needed collaboration. On the certification of more centres for treatment, the PTF has set up a team of experts now going round to inspect and certify the additional centres, nationwide. They are presently working in Abuja.

“We are requesting that the subnational governments should provide at least a 300-bed facility either a hotel or any facility that is available to them with options and graded in different categories so that they provide a place where they can provide basic nursing and other required procedures before patients are moved into the isolation centres or the teaching hospitals and any other health facilities. And those facilities should be expandable as the need arises”, he requested.

Fake News

Meanwhile, the government has lamented the growing resort to fake news by some elements in the country, saying the development is distracting it from the fight against the Novel Coronavirus.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who stated this during the briefing of the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 also added that the donations Nigeria received from Chinese billionaire, Jack Ma are in good conditions and not contaminated.

“Fake News is actually distracting our fight against Covid-19 and I think this is quite unhelpful. It is trending on the social media that the equipment and aid that we received from China, from Jack Ma are all infected with the virus. This is not true. Also, I was quoted yesterday as having said that the PTF has distributed ₦5 billion to the most vulnerable people in the last 24 hours. That also is not correct”, he said.

Also speaking, Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire said 71 per cent of the over 6, 000 contacts at large have been traced, explaining that as more contacts are traced, the number of infected persons is expected to go higher.

Ehanire said; “As of 10 am today, 2nd of April, 2020, Nigeria has recorded 174 confirmed COVID-19 cases. 91 are in Lagos, 35 in FCT, 14 in Osun, 8 in Oyo, 5 in Akwa Ibom, 4 each in Ogun, Edo and Kaduna, 3 in Bauchi, 2 each in Enugu and Ekiti, and 1 each in Rivers and the Benue States.

“Those discharged from hospital care are still nine, but others are pending once final tests are done. Two fatalities are on record, these being cases with other serious pre-existing illnesses.

“As contact tracing and testing capacity are being ramped up, more and more cases will be found and the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases is expected to rise initially. We also worry about persons, especially Nigerians, returning to the country through land borders, who run a higher risk of infection while in a confined space for a long time, like transit in a crowded bus or car. Therefore, it is advisable that all travellers postpone non-essential travel, whether national or international. In this regard, Nigerians are also advised to remain where they are resident and so stay safe, except if returning home from a journey.

“With the expanded national case definition and the addition of two laboratories to the NCDC network of COVID-19 molecular laboratories, the national testing capacity has increased. Moreover, the lockdown in high burden States presents the advantage of reduced population mobility and leaves more people at home to be found during contact tracing. All of this means that more people and samples can be collected and tested more quickly, giving a shorter turnaround time, but it also means that more cases will be discovered initially than before. With 71% of the over presumed 6,000 or more contacts now traced, the number of confirmed cases will be rising dramatically. Contact tracing will still be intensified to reduce the number of outstanding cases”, he added.

Director-General of the National Centre for Disease Control NCDC, Dr Chikwe Iheakwazu on his part announced that the organization currently has 15 rapid response teams supporting 15 states, describing it as the largest deployment of the specialised health team in Nigeria.

He added that the aid received from Jack Ma had since been distributed to all states of the Federation.

No Patients in Kubwa

In a related development, Minister of State in the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has called on residents to ignore the rumour making the round on social media platforms claiming that over 100 asymptomatic patients of the Novel Coronavirus are in Kubwa General Hospital receiving treatment.

Aliyu who made the call during a fact-finding mission to the hospital management described the rumour as fake news, stressing that it is a rumour taken to an extreme point especially at this critical period.

The minister stated there are designated isolation centres where asymptomatic patients are kept in different parts of the territory, adding that her visit was not just a fact-finding mission but to restore confidence in the minds of people.

“We are here on the basis of a rumour that over 100 patients of COVID-19 are in this facility receiving treatment. But then, it is good to clarify and restore confidence in our people, because once the residents begin to lose confidence in the health sector, then we are in for a more serious problem.

“There are designated centres where COVID-19 patients are kept. However, there is a need to clear the air and to restore confidence. We want to hear from you, but before you speak to us, I notice a calm atmosphere both in the delivery ward to other wards in the hospital. I commend the management of this hospital,” she noted.

Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of Kubwa General Hospital, Dr Lasisi Muideen, said the hospital management was shocked and embarrassed by such negative report, stressing that there was no basis for any patriotic Nigerian to come up with such fabricated report.

Muideen emphasized that there was no single patient of COVID-19 in Kubwa General Hospital, noting that the hospital sees over 15, 000 patients every month in different fields.

According to him, “We saw it the same way others saw it in the social media, and we are so surprised that such news can go out concerning us. We believe there is no basis for anybody to post such a story. It is absolutely false and there is no truth about it.

“There is no single patient of COVID-19 in Kubwa General Hospital. The Federal Capital Territory Administration has been magnanimous to put up an institution like this in this place. This hospital sees over 15, 000 patients every month in different fields. This hospital serves both residents of FCT and other neighbouring states of Niger, Kogi, Kaduna and Nasarawa.

“As a matter of fact, I met a patient from Lagos state who came to the hospital because of our excellent service. This is the kind of story we hear about our service every day as a result of the commitment of the FCT Administration”.

The minister also monitored the decontamination of a major fly-over along Kubwa road and the decontamination of Kubwa market in the ongoing battle against coronavirus.

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Says they run higher risk of infection

*Urges all travellers to suspend non-essential travels

By Joseph Erunke

One of the closed land borders in Nigeria

ABUJA-THE federal government has expressed fears that its ongoing efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus may be derailed by persons coming into the country through land borders.

The government said its fears were built on the fact that persons coming through land borders run a higher risk of infection while in a confined space for a long time, like transit in a crowded bus or car.

Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, who said this on Thursday,in Abuja, at a press briefing held by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, said following the development, it was “advisable that  all travelers postpone non-essential travel, whether national or international.”

READ ALSONigeria COVID-19 lockdown pushes Lagos poor to the brink

He also said,”In this regard, Nigerians are also advised to remain where they are resident and so stay safe, except if returning home from a journey.”

“We also worry about persons, especially Nigerians, returning to the country through land borders, who run a higher risk of infection while in a confined space for a long time, like transit in a crowded bus or car.

“Therefore, it is advisable that all travelers postpone non-essential travel, whether national or international. In this regard, Nigerians are also advised to remain where they are resident and so stay safe, except if returning home from a journey,” Ehanire said.

The minister said, “with the expanded national case definition and the addition of two laboratories to the NCDC network of COVID-19 molecular laboratories, the national testing capacity has increased.”

“Moreover, the lockdown in high burden States presents the advantage of reduced population mobility and leaves more people at home to be found during contact tracing,” he added.

According to him, “All of this means that more people and samples can be collected and tested more quickly, giving a shorter turnaround time, but it also means that more cases will be discovered initially than before. ”

He said, “With 71% of the over presumed 6,000 or more contacts now traced, the number of confirmed cases will be rising dramatically.”

“Contact tracing will still be intensified to reduce the number of outstanding cases.


a. We shall continue to expand the number of isolation centres and prepare ICU units across the country for those who may have complications,” he added.

The minister said the government had “also expanded bedding and intensive care space in Abuja, Gwagwalada and have urged all States to do the same in their states, starting with tertiary hospitals.”

“All facilities including private facilities where isolation and treatment of coronavirus are to be conducted will be inspected before accreditation by a team of experts,” he disclosed.

He said the” Office of the National Security Adviser shall be represented, due to national security implications.”

” I enjoin all States and facility managers to cooperate in the exercise because it will largely determine our success in containing the spread of the virus, ” he said.

Ehanire said the number of confirmed cases at the time of the briefing stood at 174, saying those discharged so far from treatment centres were nine.

Hear him: “As of 10 am today, 2nd of April, 2020, Nigeria has recorded 174 confirmed COVID-19 cases. 91 are in Lagos, 35 in FCT, 14 in Osun, 8 in Oyo, 5 in Akwa Ibom, 4 each in Ogun, Edo and Kaduna, 3 in Bauchi, 2 each in Enugu and Ekiti, and 1 each in Rivers and the Benue States.

“Those discharged from hospital care are still nine, but others are pending once final tests are done.

“Two fatalities are on record, these being cases with other serious pre-existing illnesses.

“As contact tracing and testing capacity are being ramped up, more and more cases will be found and the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases is expected to rise initially.”

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Gov Ortom’s specimen being taken for COVID-19 test

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom and his Deputy, Mr. Benson Abounu, Thursday voluntarily had their specimen taken for the COVID-19 test.

Also taken for the COVID-19 test were samples of the Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Mr. David Olofu.

Speaking on his decision to willingly go for the test, Governor Ortom said it was the right thing to do by everyone and not only when they noticed symptoms of the disease.

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Gov Ortom encouraged other Benue people to also present themselves for the COVID-19 test, as doing so would help check the spread of the disease in the state.

“I had said earlier that I would submit myself for the test, that is what we have done and apart from knowing my status, it would help create awareness of the virus in our state.

“So I would advise everyone to do the same to enable us to know our status and also help check the spread of the COVID-19 virus in our state,” Gov Ortom stated.

ALSO READ: Akwa Ibom commences contact tracking of 5 suspected COVID 19 patients, others 

Governor Ortom stressed that there was nothing shameful about knowing one’s COVID-19 status since it would aid early detection and help save the life of the victim.

He urged the people to cooperate with the COVID-19 Action Committee at the state and local government levels, while observing the preventive measures against the pandemic.

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By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

IN a bid to cushion the effect of recent slash in the price of petroleum products, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, PETROAN, has appealed to the federal government to come to the aid of its members with soft-loans. 

The association made the appeal in a statement signed by its President, Dr Billy Gillis-Harry, and the Assistant Secretary, Ogbuefi E. Erasmus, which was made available to journalists in Abuja.

While commending President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, for showing leadership and compassion to the feeling of the ordinary Nigerians, by reducing the pump price of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) twice in less than four weeks, 

Also read: Covid-19: We’ll keep filling stations open, away from fuel scarcity – IPMAN assures residents

PETROAN noted that its members had incurred huge losses, which could send most of them out of business if there was no fast intervention.

It assured that its members would comply with government’s compassionate move of price reduction, and pleaded with the President to direct relevant government agencies to urgently arrange an intervention fund to be managed by the nation’s apex bank, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, for PETROAN members as soft loans to sustain their businesses with.

The statement read in part, “We, the members of PETROAN, as an obedient citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and partners in progress with the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, are very willing to obey and comply with the new reduction in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit as this, we are confident, will help reduce the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Nigeria Economy.

“However, our association wishes to bring to the notice of the Federal

Government the challenges of Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners in Nigeria. Our members have recorded massive losses from 19th of March 2020 when the first reduction was announced by the Federal Government.

“With the further reduction in price by the Federal Government our members again will lose a sizable amount of money, which will impact negatively on their buying power, which will inevitably spiral down to a reduction in patronage of the government approval petroleum products distribution depot.

“We, therefore, wish to appeal to the Federal Government, PPPRA and another relevant stakeholder to come to our aid by urgently setting up an intervention fund to be midwifed by the CBN and disburse to our members in form of soft loans so as to cushion the effect of the PMS price reduction on the businesses of our teeming members and to guarantee to replenish investible capital.

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Fayose

A former governor of Ekiti, Ayo Fayose, said on Thursday that he had undergone voluntary testing for coronavirus and turned out negative.

The ex-governor said in a statement issued by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, he was delighted to be adjudged free of the disease and asked more Nigerians to go for a test while praying for the victims.

• READ ALSO: Fayose, Olujimi in verbal war over Ekiti PDP ward congress

He said: “I took a COVID-19 test yesterday (Wednesday) because of my perceived exposure in the last two weeks, I just got the result which is negative

“Notwithstanding, I will remain indoor like other Nigerians and I encourage more people to go for the test and remain at home in line with the government’s directive.” (NAN)

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The World Health Organisation (WHO), Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, said on Thursday there are now 6,075 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Africa with 214 deaths.

The United Nations health agency gave the update in its regional official twitter account @WHOAFRO in the Congolese capital.

It said: “They are 6,075 cases on the African continent, with 214 deaths and 478 recoveries reported.

• READ ALSO: COVID-19 social relief: Osun prioritises sick, poor people

“In the past seven days, four new countries in the Region have confirmed cases of COVID-19, including Botswana, Burundi, Guinea Bissau, and Sierra Leone.”

The agency said South Africa currently leads the rest of the continent with 1,380 cases and five deaths, Algeria 847 cases with 58 deaths and Burkina Faso has 261 confirmed cases with 14 deaths.

“Nigeria has 174 confirmed cases, nine have been discharged with two deaths,’’ it added. (NAN)

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A Nigerian newspaper and Online version of the Vanguard, a daily publication in Nigeria covering Nigeria news, Niger delta, general national news, politics, business, energy, sports, entertainment, fashion,lifestyle human interest stories, etc

By Bashir Bello – Abuja

Business mogul and President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has donated a 500 bedded isolation facility to Kano State government as part of his contribution to the fight against coronavirus pandemic in the state.

The 500 bedded isolation facility arrived the state on Thursday which led to the commencement of the construction of the isolation center at the 15,000 capacity Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.

The Kano State Ministry for Health, Information Officer, Hadiza Namadi stated this in a statement made available to newsmen in the state on Thursday.

READ ALSO: Breaking: Dangote tests negative for coronavirus

Namadi said, “In fulfilment of the promise made by the President of Dangote Group, Alh. Aliko Dangote, to establish 600-bed Isolation Center at  Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano, equipment for 500 beds have arrived the venue today Thursday as construction has commenced in earnest.

“A committee, chaired by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa, has already being formed on the establishment of the Sani Abacha Stadium Covid-19 Isolation Center to determine how the center will function including issues on water and power supply and waste disposal.

“Members of the Committee include Commissioner of Youth and Sports Development, Alh. Kabir Lakwaya, Commissioner of Works, Alh. Magaji Mu’azu, Executive Secretary, Primary Healthcare Management Board, Dr. Tijjani, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Dr. Amina Abdullahi Umar, and representative from Dangote Foundation.

“The Health Commissioner and other members of the committee have inspected the ongoing construction at the Sani Abacha Stadium site,” Namadi said.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: we are committed towards providing information on virus- NCDC

Recall that Governor Ganduje had at the weekend during the inauguration of a 38-man fund raising committee on Covid-19 announced plans by Dangote to support the state with 600 bedded isolation facility.

In a related development, Namadi said the ministry had also received donation from El- Hage and Medicus Industries.

Items donated include Hand Gloves, Hand Sanitizer, Hypo, Digital Thermometer, Shampoo, Antiseptic Disinfectant, Multi Purpose Soap and Face Mask among others.

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…Berates APC for manipulating prices, fleecing Nigerians

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rejects the April 1 tweaking of fuel price from N125 to N123.5 instead of the appropriate N90 per liter canvassed by Nigerians.

Our party describes the reduction of pump price by N1.50k as offensive, fraudulent; a further display of cruelty and insensitivity of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the plight of Nigerians, particularly as the nation battles the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The PDP insists that the correct price of pump price fuel is between N80 to N90 per liter, given the slump in the price of fuel and crude oil in the international market.

The PDP holds that any price beyond that is completely unacceptable, as it amount to fleecing Nigerians.

READ ALSO: Buhari is right; fuel subsidy is a fraud

The party berates the APC administration for attempting to delude Nigerians by tweaking the cost decimals to create a misleading impression of price reduction while fleecing the unsuspecting public.

The PDP challenges the APC and its administration to explain how they arrived at the pump price of N123.5 instead of the appropriate price of N90 per liter despite the fall in international price.

The PDP asks the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to disprove Nigerians by immediately publishing the full prevailing landing cost, the prevailing 3% depot cost, the 3% trucking cost as well as the retail outlet admin cost and show why the pump price should be above N90 per liter.

It indeed smacks of heartlessness that the APC, its leaders and cronies in government circle are rather manipulating fuel costs at this critical time when other governments across the world are seeking ways to mitigate the economic hardship being faced by their citizens.

Our party maintains that since Nigerians earlier had to bear the brunt of high cost of fuel in the face of high oil prices in the international market, it is only fair that they also enjoy the benefits of the cut in international prices; an advantage the APC had continued to deny them.

The PDP invites Nigerians to note how the APC and its leaders had remained silent and failed to support the demand for reduction of fuel price; a development that only points to apparent complicity in this sleazy scheme against our citizens.

The PDP therefore charges the APC and its administration to immediately reduce the pump price to the appropriate price of N90 as well as refund the accruable, so far, from the N35 per liter difference and channel same to provision of palliatives to Nigerians.

Our party also challenges the APC to join the PDP and other well-meaning Nigerians in our persistent demand that President Buhari orders the recovery of over N14 trillion oil money stolen by APC leaders in the last four years including the stolen N9trillion detailed in the leaked NNPC memo, and redirect same to the welfare of Nigerians.

Furthermore, the PDP reiterates its demand for the establishment of Eminent Nigerians Group to manage donations towards mitigating the impact of COVID-19 and ensure that the palliatives get to venerable Nigerians without any political and bureaucratic bottlenecks.

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