DONALD OTITO

Scientists said they have discovered in Nigeria the mutant variant of COVID-19 responsible for spike in cases of infection and casualties in the United Kingdom. Legit.ng

An illustration picture shows vials with Covid-19 Vaccine stickers attached, with the logo of US pharmaceutical company Pfizer, on November 17, 2020. JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP   The EU finally gave the green light for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine on Monday, paving the way for the first inoculations to start across 27 countries just days after Christmas. The decision was rushed through under pressure from European governments after Britain and the United States authorised the jab weeks earlier. The European Medicines Agency recommended the vaccine developed by US pharma giant Pfizer and German firm BioNTech for use, and the European Commission formally approved it hours later. The EMA added that the vaccine would “very likely” be effective against a new strain of the disease spreading through Britain. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said vaccinations would start across the EU on December 27, adding that the vaccine was a “true European success story”. “This is a ...

Eleven National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) members undergoing orientation in Taraba have tested positive for COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Innocent Vakkai, the Chairman of the COVID-19 Technical Committee in Taraba, announced this on Monday at a news conference organised by the state Ministry of Information and Orientation in Jalingo. He said that the victims were currently receiving treatments at various isolation centres in the state. Vakkai, also the Commissioner for Health, urged residents of the state to be cautious of the pandemic. He appealed to members of the public to always observe COVID-19 protocols to mitigate the spread of the disease. Earlier, Mr Danjuma Adamu, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, said that the state would soon establish a model ranch and livestock training centre. Adamu said that the plan to establish the centre was in line with the open grazing and ranches establishment law of the state. He also said that the centre would promote modern techniques...

Federal government has extended the deadline for the provision of National Identification Number, NIN, by telecommunication service subscribers to 19 th January and 9 th  February, 2021 respectively. FG disclosed this in a statement titled: ‘Extension of Registration Period and Cancellation of USSD and Verification Fees’, signed by the Executive Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, Umar Danbatta; and Director-General, National Identity Management Commission, Aliyu Aziz. Part of the statement read:  “The National Task Force on National Identification Number and SIM Registration met today, 21st December, 2020. “The meeting was chaired by the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami with major stakeholders in the sector including Chairman – NCC, EVC-NCC, DG-NITDA, DG-NIMC, ECTS/ECSM-NCC, Chairman ALTON, CEOs of MTN, Airtel, Ntel, Glo, Smile, and 9Moble in attendance. “Based on the endorsement of the Federal Government of Nigeria, th...

Dr. Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment …Says schools may reopen January 2021 By Vincent Ujumadu Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige said Monday that the federal government has met 98% of the demands of the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, assuring Nigerians that the nation’s universities are likely to reopen by January next year. Addressing reporters at Alor in Idemili North local government area of Anambra State during the flag-off of medical outreach in the town, the minister said final decisions will be taken on Tuesday during a meeting he would hold with ASUU leadership in Abuja. He said: “We have met about 98 percent of the request of ASUU. The remaining two percent is what you can call promissory notes. “So, I am very hopeful that by midnight Tuesday, there is work we are supposed to get on to do and ASUU members also have some work they are supposed to do on their own side with their people. “We will meet in the afternoon an...

  The Federal Government has extended the deadline issued to all telecommunications operators in the country to block all Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) without National Identification Number (NIN). Details later… Channels Television 

A couple in Malaysia hosted 10,000 guests at their wedding ceremony on Sunday, December 20. The guests, were, however, safe as it was a drive-thru ceremony. Legit.ng

By Michael Eboh The Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Monday, suspended, till further notice, all physical meetings and visits to its offices, due to the rising cases of COVID-19 infections across the country, following the second wave of the pandemic. In a new set of guidelines issued in a circular in Abuja, SEC also advised public companies to take appropriate precautionary measures as recommended by the federal and state governments, as well as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, in order to ensure the safety of shareholders and participants at their Annual General Meetings/Extra-Ordinary General Meetings and other meetings which may be held during the prevalence of the pandemic. SEC said the suspension of physical meetings and visits to its offices was in order to protect investors and not disrupt activities in the capital market, adding that henceforth, its operations will now become fully electronic. The Commission, which described the market-focused adjustments ...

Nigerians at NIMC office Alausa, Ikeja in Lagos, December 21, 2020. PHOTO: Twitter A mammoth crowd stormed the  National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) office at Alausa in Ikeja, Lagos on Monday. This was in response to the mandate given by the Federal Government on December 14 that all Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) not synchronised with valid National Identity Number (NIN) by December 30th  2020 will be disconnected. The last time Nigerians were thrown into such turmoil was when the Federal Government announced the mandatory for all bank customers to be captured in the Bank Verification Number (BVN) project. Nigerians at NIMC office Alausa, Ikeja in Lagos, December 21, 2020. PHOTO: Twitter However, the announcement of the probable apocalypse of SIM scheduled for December 30th was an event foretold with signs and symptoms. In February, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy,  Dr Isa Pantami , called on the newly inaugurated Board of the Nigerian Comm...

The Senate on Monday passed the 2021 Appropriation Bill of N13.5 trillion. This followed the adoption of the report of Senate Committee on Appropriations at plenary. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had on Oct. 8, presented the 2021 budget of N13.08 trillion to the joint session of the National Assembly for approval. Details later: (NAN/Vanguard News Nigeria)

The two largest planets in the solar system -Jupiter and Saturn - will come so close to each other that they may appear to be overlapping on Monday, December 21 Legit.ng

Jihadist group Boko Haram on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the abduction of hundreds of school students in Kankara, Katsina State. “I am Abubakar Shekau and our brothers are behind the kidnapping in Katsina,” said the leader of the group that was also behind the 2014 abduction of hundreds of schoolgirls in Chibok, in a voice message. At least 333 students are still missing since the attack late Friday on the all-boys Government Science Secondary School in northwestern Katsina state. The attack was initially blamed on armed groups locally known as “bandits”, who are active in the unstable region where kidnappings for ransom are common. The army said Monday it had located the hideout of the men, and that a military operation was under way. More than 100 gunmen on motorcycles stormed the rural school north of Kankara town, forcing students to flee and hide in the surrounding bush. A number of boys were able to escape, but many were captured, split into groups and taken away, resident...

Says some patients discharged in the past are coming down with virus By Chioma Obinna & Gabriel Olawale Resident Doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, on Monday warned that Nigerians should be wary of COVID-19 second wave as some patients discharged of COVID-19iJn the past are coming down with the virus again even as they posited that recent event suggests the country is in the middle of another pandemic. Briefing journalists, President of ARD LUTH, Dr.Judith Jolayemi called on all citizens of Nigeria, organizations, institutions, and the government to return to the status quo by reinstating the previously initiated precautionary actions towards preventing the spread of the virus. Jolayemi said: “Schools after vacating this month maybe considered to remain closed until the epidemic curve begins to reverse. Government at all levels should continue to enforce laws regarding adherence to safety protocols, scale-up covid-19 testing, improve infrastructure and service...

Trump supporters approach counter-protesters during political clashes on December 12, 2020, in Olympia, Washington. Far-right and far-left groups squared off near the Washington State Capitol following violent clashes over the previous weekend. David Ryder/Getty Images/AFP   Four people were stabbed and one shot as rallies backing President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud led to clashes in major US cities on Saturday. Scuffles broke out in many places between rally-goers and counter-protesters who turned up to criticize the president, who lost the November 3 election to Democrat Joe Biden but is yet to concede. Washington State Police said in a tweet late Saturday that a shooting had taken place after clashes near the capitol building in Olympia, and that a suspect had been detained. In the US capital, DC Fire and EMS Department communications chief Doug Buchanan told AFP that four people had been stabbed and were now hospitalized “with serious injuries.” The ...

Tractor-trailers loaded with suitcase-sized containers of COVID-19 vaccine will leave Pfizer Inc’s manufacturing facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Sunday morning – launching the largest and most complex vaccine distribution project in the United States, where the virus is raging. U.S. regulators late on Friday authorized the vaccine from Pfizer and partner BioNTech for use, and U.S. marshals will accompany the tightly secured shipments from factory to final destination. “We have spent months strategizing with Operation Warp Speed officials and our healthcare customers on efficient vaccine logistics, and the time has arrived to put the plan into action,” Wes Wheeler, president of UPS Healthcare, said on Saturday. Pfizer’s dry-ice cooled packages can hold as many as 4,875 doses, and the first leg of their journey will be from Kalamazoo to planes positioned nearby. Workers will load the vaccine – which must be kept at sub-Arctic temperatures – onto the aircraft that will shuttle them to...

  Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and Mr Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources to use their leadership positions “to urgently probe how N116 million was spent by your Ministry to buy biros, letterhead, and toners in 2015, and to disclose the amount spent on the same items between 2016 and 2020, and if there is evidence of misuse of public funds, refer the matter to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for prosecution.” The Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation had last Thursday before the Senate Public Accounts Committee revealed that officials of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources spent N116m to buy biros, letterhead, and toners in one year, and alleged “contravention of the Public Procurement Act 2017 by the Permanent Secretary.” In the letter dated 12 December 2020 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “The Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [a...

The number of COVID-19 recoveries in the African continent has reached 2,010,127, the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Saturday. The continental disease control and prevention agency said in a statement that the number of overall COVID-19 cases in the continent stands at 2,343,128 as of Saturday afternoon. A total of 55,669 people infected with COVID-19 have died from the disease across the continent so far, according to the continental disease control and prevention agency. The most COVID-19 affected African countries in terms of the number of positive cases include South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, and Ethiopia, figures from the Africa CDC showed. The southern Africa region is the most COVID-19 affected region both in terms of the number of confirmed positive cases as well as the number of deaths, it was noted. The northern Africa region is the second most COVID-19-affected African region, according to the Africa CDC. South Africa currently has the mo...

A file photo of Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari   Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari on Saturday said no one can yet ascertain the number of students who were kidnapped after bandits raided a secondary school in the state. Gunmen had stormed Government Science Secondary School in Ƙanƙara Local Government Area of the state on Friday night, causing students, teachers, and staff members to flee for their lives. The staff said there were 884 students in the school at the time of the attack. Speaking with reporters on Saturday, the Governor said 426 students have been counted as safe. “This incidence has gone beyond imagination,” the Governor said in Hausa. “For us, it’s highly worrisome and disturbing; I am assuring parents and guardians of these children that – we couldn’t say that we are more disturbed than them – but to be rest assured that we share the same worry with them. Because we know that we have the responsibility to protect their lives and their health.” The Governor ...

A Nigerian girl AMARACHI NWAMBA who lives in North West London made the best result in her College by scoring A* in all her 4 subjects (Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and Spanish). She received offers to study Medicine from University of Oxford, University College London (UCL) and Birmingham University. She accepted the offer from University of Oxford where she started her degree course in Medicine two weeks ago. Amarachi is a daughter to a Nigeria couple Dr Ifeanyi Nwamba, a Consultant Surgeon in Italy who recently joined NHS England and Mrs Chinyere Nwamba (nee Ochomma) a Microbiologist with a postgraduate degree in Midwifery. When asked what was behind this giant stride and success in her academic pursuit, Amarachi has this to say: “The most important lesson I learned from my parents is that hard work pays off. 3 or 4 years ago, when I started to seriously think about where to apply to university, it seemed an unreachable goal. Now, I am medical student at the University of Oxford ...

By Dirisu Yakubu – Abuja Former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has commiserated with the Nda-Isaiah family and the management of Leadership newspapers on the passing on of the founder and chairman of the Leadership Media Group, Mr. Sam Nda- Isaiah who died last Friday. Dr. Jonathan in a condolence message to the family described the late Nda-Isaiah as an erudite journalist and columnist who deployed his creativity towards promoting peace, progress, and unity. Dr. Jonathan also noted that the late publisher was deeply committed to the public good, adding that he would be missed for his patriotism and incisive commentary on the state of our nation. “I commiserate with the Nda- Isaiah family, the Nigerian media, his political associates, and all sympathisers on the demise of Sam Nda- Isaiah at the age of 58 after a brief illness. “Sam Nda- Isaiah was a pharmacist, an erudite journalist, a columnist, and a newspaper publisher who deployed his creativity and platforms to promote the ...

The President of the United States of America Donald Trump has blasted the Supreme Court for failing to overturn the election of Joe Biden as president-elect. Legit.ng

Lt General Tukur Buratai, on Saturday, December 12, faulted the International Criminal Court (ICC) for accusing the Nigerian Army of committing war crimes. Legit.ng

   /  1 hour ago The Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to a recent attack by suspected bandits on the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in Katsina. Legit.ng

Professor Wole Soyinka Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has said nobody was in charge of the affairs of the country at present. Soyinka, who described the year 2020 as the most challenging in the country, made the comment at the launch of his new book, ‘’Chronicles of the Happiest People on Earth,’’ in Ibadan, Oyo State on Wednesday. Speaking on the state of the nation, the Nobel laureate said the year had also been a pessimistic one for the country. He said though there were natural issues that resulted in the “repugnant and negative” mood in the year, leadership also failed the country. Soyinka insisted, as he said in June, that he does not believe President Muhammadu Buhari was in charge of the country. He said: “With the turbulence that characterised year 2020, and as activities wind down, the mood has been repugnant and very negative. ‘’I don’t want to sound pessimistic but this is one of the most pessimistic years I have known in this nation and it wasn’t just because of COVID-...

Faisal Shuaib, executive secretary, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, broke the news at the presidential task force on COVID-19 media briefing. Legit.ng

Ganduje …APC youth leader, district head, 2 others kidnapped in Niger State …Police arrest two suspected kidnappers of rescued US citizen By Bashir Bello There seems to be no end to the wave of insecurity sweeping across the country as no fewer than 16 indigenes of Dambatta Local Government Area of the Kano State were on Tuesday killed by gunmen along Abuja-Kaduna highway. This is even as a district head, youth leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and two others were yesterday kidnapped at Garin Gabbas in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, by bandits, as Governor Abdullahi Ganduje rained curses on the perpetrators. A source in Dambatta, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident leading to the death of indigenes (all males) occurred last Tuesday when the gunmen shot at a tyre of the moving vehicle (Hummer Bus) conveying them from Abuja back to Kano. The source said the action of the gunmen resulted in a fatal accident which led to the death of the deceased....

President Muhammadu Buhari By Tordue Salem – Abuja The minority caucus in the House of Representatives on Thursday advised President Muhammadu  Buhari to ignore the Attorney General of the Federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, and appear before the House as soon as possible. The caucus, in a statement signed by the minority leader, Rep. Ndudi Elumelu, criticised the claim by the Attorney General that the National Assembly lacks constitutional powers to invite the president to address it on the worsening insecurity and killings. He said the claim by the Attorney General, was unlawful and reckless. “We as lawmakers, therefore, urge President Buhari not to allow officials like Abubakar Malami to ridicule his office and further alienate him from Nigerians. “Mr. President, having agreed to appear before the House and given that the invitation is backed by the constitution, should take steps to honour invitation and not allow himself to be distracted by persons who have de...

The help of two Nigerians, Yetunde and Bilqis, has changed the lives of some children in Ogun who used to walk six hours to school. They were gifted bicycles. Legit.ng

By Levinus Nwabughiogu House of Representatives has passed a bill seeking to remove railway from the exclusive legislative list and include it in the concurrent list. The bill titled “An act to alter the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) to provide that the federal government and the state governments shall have concurrent legislative authority on railway, and to provide for matters related thereto”, scaled through second reading after members debated its general principle at Thursday plenary. Sponsor of the bill, Hon. Babajimi Benson representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency of Lagos State while leading the debate on the bill said that it shall alter the Second Schedule to the Constitution (as amended), Act (N0 24) 1999. “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) is altered in the Second Schedule as set out below: (a) in Part 1, under the Exclusive Legislative List, delete Item 55, and (b) in Part 11, under Concurrent Legisla...

President Muhammadu Buhari refused to address members of the National Assembly because he has nothing to say, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has claimed. Legit.ng

The African Union Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Thursday it will be “extremely terrible” for the world to watch African countries go without a coronavirus vaccine. The Africa CDC Director, John Nkengasong, said on Thursday that failure by African countries to receive the vaccines for the coronavirus pandemic in a timely manner could terribly undermine the continent’s development record and upset global efforts to curb the spread of the virus. “It would be extremely terrible for the world to watch Africa not receive the vaccines while some countries have bought the vaccines in excess,” Nkengasong said. He said African countries would not get enough vaccines from the COVAX vaccine network, an initiative by 172 countries around the world to access the vaccine. At least 500 million vaccines would be secured by countries to target immunisation campaigns. “We would have our developmental process challenged if we do not get this vaccine soon,” Nkengasong told ...

A Nigerian lady biker identified Lara Animashaun has said riding a bike helps her fight depression due to the experience she gets while on the two-wheeler. Legit.ng

The United States has claimed that the federal government is not given enough response to the issue of religious violence rampant in many states of Nigeria. Legit.ng

PHOTO USED TO ILLUSTRATE THE STORY: A nurse prepares to administer the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Guy’s Hospital in London, on December 8, 2020. PHOTO: Frank Augstein / POOL / AFP   Saudi Arabia on Thursday approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech novel coronavirus vaccine, state media reported, becoming the second Gulf country after Bahrain to green-light the drug. “The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA)… has approved the registration of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” it said in a statement released by the official Saudi Press Agency. “Health authorities in the kingdom can import and use the vaccine,” it added. The SFDA did not specify when it would begin the rollout of the vaccine by US pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. Last week, Bahrain announced it had approved the emergency use of the same vaccine. Britain and Canada have also approved it. American regulators are due to meet on Thursday to assess th...