Television Nigerian

The Akwa Ibom government has expressed doubt over validity of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)’s announcement of cases of the novel coronavirus in the state.

The government has demanded a “reconfirmation” of the the announced cases, according to a statement released Thursday.

The NCDC on Wednesday said there were five confirmed cases of the virus infection in the state.

But the state government, in a statement from its Commissioner for Health, Dominic Ukpong, raised questions over the announcement by the NCDC, saying that there was “a disturbing breach in the test and reporting procedure” adopted by the agency.

The Akwa Ibom government said it only heard about the results of the test in the news.

It is unclear, for now, if the NCDC is required by protocols to inform state governments before the agency goes public with the results of COVID-19 tests.

The statement from the Akwa Ibom government said even the director general of the NCDC was unaware of the result that was announced by the agency.

“All 5 reported positive test cases have been contacted and they have showed no COVID-19 symptoms.

“Owing to the irregularities observed in the testing and reporting procedure, Health Care Professionals in Akwa Ibom State have called for an immediate reconfirmation test on the 5 reported cases,” the statement said.

The government said samples they have sent to the NCDC for the COVID-19 testing have all returned negative results.

“While the tests were being processed in NCDC approved test facilities, all suspected cases were held in isolation.

“Health Care Professionals in Akwa Ibom State have appealed to the NCDC to ensure that all future tests are conducted following due process in order to maintain continued confidence in the process,” the statement said.

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By Bukola Olasanmi

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.

PDP 0describes 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.

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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By Bukola Olasanmi

After eight days of isolation and treatment, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, has tested negative for COVID-19.

It was gathered through the Head of Public Relations Unit of the hospital Mr Toye Akinrinlola that the last test on his blood sample has come back negative.

Akinrinlola said the test result arrived at about 3:45 pm on Thursday to gladden the heart of family, friends and workers of the institution.

Otegbayo had tested positive to the virus seven days ago.

He said he may have contracted the virus through Board meetings of the hospital held from Monday to Wednesday last week.

The week-long meetings were suspended on Thursday after some members showed symptoms of COVID-19.

He was among the eight confirmed cases in Oyo State as at Wednesday April 1.

The Provost of the College of Medicine and his deputy have also tested positive for the virus and have since placed themselves in self-isolation.

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By Bukola Olasanmi

Over 399 French national were airlifted out of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos on Thursday.

The French nationals were flown out by an Air France aircraft which took to the skies about 13.56 hours.

Sources at MMIA, Lagos said the French nationals completed all security and health checks before they boarded the aircraft.

Boeing 777-200 is among the aircraft type in the fleet of Air France to a single operation accommodate up to 399 passengers.

The airline had since secured permit from the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to undertake the operations under the ‘ emergency / special / humanitarian ‘ flights category.

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(Reuters) – Saudi Arabia imposed a 24-hour curfew in the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina on Thursday, extending measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected more than 1,700 people in the kingdom and killed 16.

The interior ministry said in a statement there were some exceptions, including for essential workers and in order for residents to buy food and access medical care. Cars in those cities’ residential districts may only carry one passenger to limit the virus’ transmission, it said.

The country of 30 million has taken drastic steps to contain the disease, halting international flights, closing most public places, and suspending the year-round umrah pilgrimage. On Tuesday, it asked Muslims to put plans for the annual haj pilgrimage on hold pending more clarity about the pandemic.

Restrictions on movement have tightened, with entry and exit to Riyadh, Mecca, Medina and Jeddah heavily restricted. Some neighbourhoods in Mecca and Medina were already under full lockdown, but in the rest of those cities the curfew was previously from 1500 to 0600.

The eastern oil-producing province of Qatif, where the kingdom’s first coronavirus cases were reported last month among Shi’ite Muslim pilgrims returning from Iran, has been on lockdown for nearly four weeks.

Saudi Arabia has the most infections and deaths among the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, but public health officials say past experience combating the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) helped prepare the kingdom for the new coronavirus outbreak.

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The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has engaged deities in Ile-Ife, Osun State to cleanse the country of the coronavirus pandemic.

A public announcement signed by Chief Oyalami Awoyode urged residents of Ile-Ife to remain indoors throughout Thursday.

The announcement made on behalf of the Ooni said masqueraders would be performing traditional rites around the entire Ife town to cleanse Nigeria of the pandemic.

The restriction of movement commenced by 8 am and ends at 6 pm.

The revered monarch on Monday said he had been working on herbal solution to the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the globe.

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One of Nigeria’s brightest law teachers, a legal luminary, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and one time head of Nigerian Law School, Mr Kole Ade Abayomi, has died at a London hospital, aged 80.

A son of one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists, Sir Kofo Abayomi, the former law teacher died Thursday morning.

He was until his death, the proprietor and principal partner of his law firm, Kole Abayomi Chambers in Lagos his hometown.

Called to the Nigerian Bar in 1966 and made a Senior Advocate in 2005 with Conferment Serial Number 219, late Chief Kole Abayomi was born in Lagos on 20th August, 1940 to the illustrious family of Sir Kofo and Lady Oyinkan Abayomi.

The Babasale of Lagos had his early education in the city of his birth before proceeding to the United Kingdom to read Law and obtained LL.B (Hons), LLM and Ph.D degrees.

His eight decades on earth was packed full of activities and landmark achievements after his initial education at C.M.S Grammar School and King’s College, both in Lagos.

He read Law at the University of Durham and graduated with LL.B Hons. Thereafter, in 1965 he proceeded to the Nigerian Law School for the vocational practical training course in October and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1966.

He was awarded the Commonwealth Scholarship in October 1966 for Post graduate studies in Law at the Clare College Cambridge.

He obtained at Clare College Cambridge University, the postgraduate degree of LL.B (now LLM) in 1967 and the Ph.D degree from Cambridge in 1970. He was also a scholar at Clare College Cambridge University and Commonwealth Scholar Cambridge University .

Dr. Abayomi returned to Nigeria in 1970 to start a lecturing career at the Council of Legal Education, Nigerian Law School.

He was first engaged as lecturer grade II and later became Secretary to the Council of Legal Education and Director of Administration from 1999-2001. In 2001, he was appointed Deputy Director-General and Head of Lagos Campus of the Nigerian Law School. Thereafter in November 2004, he became the Director-General of the School.

Dr. Abayomi was a member of the Nigeria Constitution Drafting Committee from 1975-1976, Vice Chairman Nigerian Enterprises Promotion Board 1976-1979; Vice Chairman Lagos State Ibile Property Corporation 1976-1979 and Chairman Lagos State Ibile Holdings 1991-1992.

He was a member of the Nigerian Bar Association and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law; Co-founder/President, Nigeria Society for Legal Research and Development; Member National Committee on Law and Administration in Nigeria (1981)


He was a member of Metropolitan Club, Ikoyi Club, Lagos Dinning Club, and Lagos Luncheon Club all in Lagos. Dr. Abayomi was conferred with a Chieftaincy title by His Royal Highness Oba Adeyinka Oyekan II the Oba of Lagos in 1979 as the Otun Baba Isale of Lagos. His Royal Highness Oba Rilwan Akiolu made him the Baba Isale of Lagos in 2005.

Due to his immense contribution to the noble profession and excellence in the academia, Dr. Abayomi was conferred with the rank of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2005. Not long after, he was decorated with the National Honours as an Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) by

His Excellency the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in December 2005.


He retired from the Public Service as the Director-General of the Nigeria Law School in November 2005.

Being a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and because of his love for the Noble Legal Profession, Dr. Abayomi decided to go into private legal practice.

His legal publications include: Wills-Laws and Practice, Mbeyi, Lagos 2004; Concepts and Characteristics of Wills in Law of Wills in Nigeria 2001: Contribution in FRA Williams Through The cases, 2001; Students Handbook on Legal Drafting and Conveyancing for Students at the Law School, (Chief Contributor); 2001

He was married and had six Children. His hobbies were swimming, traveling and reading.

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