BILLION

A heavily-mutated Covid variant dubbed the 'real deal' is already in the UK, health officials confirmed on Friday, August 18 amid fears it could trigger a fresh wave. Virus-tracking researchers detected the Omicron spin-off – nicknamed Pirola but also known scientifically as BA.X/BA.2.86 – in a patient hospitalised in London. The unidentified patient is thought to have caught the strain within the UK. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) bosses did not reveal exactly how many cases have been spotted so far. But top scientists claim the discovery means 'we can be pretty sure it's circulating more widely'.  Only six cases of the strain first spotted last month have been detected so far worldwide, in the US, Denmark, and Israel.  The three Danish cases 'are from different parts of the country, and do not appear to have had contact with each other', it said, indicating community transmission. Dr Meera Chand, deputy director of the UKHSA told MailOnline:...

The Economic Community of West African States Defence Chiefs have agreed a “D-day” for a possible military intervention to restore civil rule in Niger if diplomatic efforts fail. According to Reuters, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Abdel-Fatau Musah, said on Friday, without disclosing when that is. The official made the comments at the end of a two-day meeting of West African army chiefs in Ghana’s capital Accra, where they have been hashing out the logistics and strategy for a possible use of force in Niger, which ECOWAS said would be the last resort. The ECOWAS troops a day earlier pledged readiness to participate in a standby force that would restore democracy in Niger after generals toppled and detained President Mohamed Bazoum. All member states, except those under military rule and Cape Verde, agreed at a meeting in Accra, Ghana capital, on Thursday to activate a “standby force” as a last resort to restore democracy in Niger. Speaking at...

Actress and singer, Cossy Ojiakor has said that ECOWAS, Nigeria can send her as peace offering to Burkina Faso’s military ruler, Ibrahim Traore. She said this following the coup happening in some African countries with the recent in Niger Republic where its military junta took over power and sent President Muhammad Bazoum into detention. In 2022, Captain Ibrahim Traore, 34 became the head of state following the coup that ousted Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba. This would be the second coup that occurred in the country. Captain Ibrahim Traoré on his part said he acted because his predecessor, who ousted his democratically elected predecessor, failed to address a growing Islamist insurgency. Ojiakor who took to social media to express her love for Traore, described him as a cute, intelligent and brave man. She said, “I love this man, Ibrahim Traore. He is so cute, intelligent and brave. Incase Nigeria/ECOWAS want to send a peace offering to him, I am available. I present ...

The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has ordered its standby force to restore constitutional order in NIger Republic. The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray made the declaration while reading the resolution of ECOWAS on the Niger coup at the ECOWAS Extraordinary meeting in Abuja on Thursday, August 10. ECOWAS also called on the African Union, AU, partner countries, and institutions to support the resolution taken by the sub-regional body. ECOWAS said all efforts made to dialogue with Niger Republic military junta have been defiantly rejected by the coup leaders as they condemn the continuous detention of President Mohamed Bazoum and his family members. The resolution partly reads, “Direct the committee of the Chief of Defence Staff to activate the ECOWAS standby force with all its elements immediately. “Order the deployment of the ECOWAS stand-by force to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger. “Underscore its continued co...

Some candidates who sat for the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE were left in shock on Monday, August 7, after the body released results for the year but withheld theirs on grounds that the state where they sat for the examination owed the board billions of Naira.  Findings later showed that the examination body decided to withhold the results of eight states who are owing them billions of Naira.   Students who went on the examination board's site to check for their result were surprised to see ‘’Indebted'' written all over the subjects they sat for in the examination.   Speaking at a press briefing on Monday August 7 in Lagos, the Head of National Office, Patrick Areghan, while giving details of the results of the examination concluded 44 days ago, said withholding the results of candidates of the indebted states will force the states to pay their debts. Areghan mentioned Zamfara and Niger as the highest debtors. He, however, de...

The investigation into the alleged job racketeering at the Federal Character Commission has taken a different twist as one Haruna Kolo, a former Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) desk officer at the commission has admitted collecting N75 million from some persons on the instruction of the chairman, Farida Dankaka.   Kolo alleged that the FCC chairperson instructed him to send the money to his personal bank account and pay to her in cash, which he did at several meetings in her house.   Kolo said he resigned from FCC on November 2, 2022, to begin a new job at the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria AMCON, but still received salary from FCC on two occasion. He revealed that he notified FCC human resource officer about the payment but was told it was not an issue and that it would be handled.   He said;    “When she came to Federal Character Commission as the executive chairman, she appointed me as a protocol officer and I ...

The Federal Government has directed the Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors in the Federal Tertiary Hospitals to implement the no work, no pay policy on the striking members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors. The FG also directed the hospitals to maintain an attendance register for all resident doctors willing to work. The letter obtained by our correspondent on Thursday was written by the Federal Ministry of Health and addressed to the CMDs and MDs of all FTHs in the country. The letter, dated August 1, 2023, was titled, “Re: Incessant strike action by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors: Implementation of ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy of the Federal Government,” was signed by the Director of Hospital Services, Dr Andrew Noah. NARD embarked on an indefinite strike on July 26, 2023, to press home its demands. The strike followed the expiration of a two-week ultimatum to the government to meet its demands. The doctors are demanding the implementat...

Barely 24 hours after meeting with President Bola Tinubu where an agreement was reached to call off their protests, the rapprochement between the organised labour and the Federal Government appeared to have collapsed as the unions on Thursday night vowed to embark on a nationwide strike from August 14 if their leaders were summoned for contempt of court orders.  The Nigeria Labour Congress hinged its decision on the contempt of court application filed by the Federal Ministry of Justice against the labour leaders on Wednesday. It threatened to down tools should the Federal Government fails to withdraw the lawsuit accusing the labour leadership of disobeying court orders. The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, announced the decision on Thursday night after the union’s National Executive Council meeting which was held in Abuja. In a bid to avert a strike by the labour movement last month, the FG had through the Federal Ministry of Justice secured an order from the National Industr...

Barely 24 hours after embarking on nationwide protests against the removal of fuel subsidy, the Organised Labour has suspended its proposed strike action. The President of Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo made this known during an interview with Arise News on Thursday morning. He said the Labour leaders who had earlier met with President Bola Tinubu extracted some commitments to some of the issues raised during the meeting for immediate implementation. He explained the suspension of the strike was based on this. SB  reported that in a press release issued on Tuesday, the Nigeria Labour Congress had announced that it would proceed with the nationwide mass protest as initially planned, following a meeting with the Federal Government. The NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero noted that the outcome of the meeting with the government did not yield positive any changes or concessions that would alter their course of action. They stressed that they remained steadfast in their c...

Burkina Faso and Mali have warned that any military intervention in Niger to restore deposed President Mohamed Bazoum will be considered a “declaration of war against their two countries”. The warning from Niger’s military-ruled neighbours came a day after West African leaders, supported by their Western partners, threatened to use “force” to reinstate the democratically elected Bazoum and slapped financial sanctions on the putschists. In a joint statement, the governments of Burkina Faso and Mali warned that “any military intervention against Niger would be tantamount to a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali.” They said the “disastrous consequences of a military intervention in Niger… could destabilise the entire region.” They also said they “refuse to apply” the “illegal, illegitimate and inhumane sanctions against the people and authorities of Niger.” This came as the Russian Federation also advised the Economic Community of West African States against the u...

President Bola Tinubu will today send a new batch of ministerial nominees to the Senate for screening,  The PUNCH  has learnt. According to a very reliable source in the Senate, the names would either come on Tuesday night or very early on Wednesday morning. The source exclusively told our correspondent that the names of the new batch of ministerial nominees would be read at the plenary today. The lawmaker added that the screening of the 28 nominees will be concluded today so that the next batch can be screened thereafter. “By Wednesday, the new set of nominees will be unveiled, so that by Monday, we will be through with their screening. “We want to conclude with the screening before we go on our recess. We wouldn’t want a situation where we would go on recess and we would now start calling lawmakers to back to come for screening,” the lawmaker said. The Senate had on Monday screened 14 out of the 28 ministerial nominees earlier submitted by the President. On Tuesd...

The two-day meeting between the Federal Government and the organised labour ended in a deadlock on Tuesday, with the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress leaders vowing to begin a nationwide protest against the removal of fuel subsidy. This came as oil workers under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association began an indefinite strike on Tuesday, citing inhumane treatment by the management of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, an agency of the Federal Government. The strike and planned protest by the organised labour slated for Wednesday (today) over the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government may shut down the country and paralyse the economy. Oil workers had earlier on Tuesday staged a protest and shut down the commission’s office in Lagos, while also vowing to shut down the agency’s offices nationwide. Speaking on the planned strike on Tuesday, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the organised labour ha...

NYSC opens her portal for online registration, Batch B, Stream 2. Prospective and eligible corp members can visit the  link  to start their registration. 

President Bola Tinubu this evening addressed the nation, announcing some palliatives to cushion the effect of high cost of living experienced in the country.    Some of the palliatives the President rolled out include loans for businesses, students and review of minimum wage.    Read President Bola Tinubu's full speech below…   My fellow citizens  I want to talk to you about our economy. It is important that you understand the reasons for the policy measures I have taken to combat the serious economic challenges this nation has long faced. 2. I am not going to talk in difficult terms by dwelling on economic jargon and concepts. I will speak in plain, clear language so that you know where I stand. More importantly, so that you see and hopefully will share my vision regarding the journey to a better, more productive economy for our beloved country. 3. For several years, I have consistently maintained the position that the fuel subsidy had to go. T...