DONALD OTITO

A health worker helps his colleague with his PPE during a community testing in Abuja on April 15, 2020, as authorities race to contain the spread of COVID-19. Sodiq Adelakun/Channels TV   Lagos state on Saturday reported 1,040 new cases of COVID-19, according to data gathered by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. In a late-night tweet, the disease control agency put the total number of cases recorded nationwide at 1,883 with one additional death. To date, the country has recorded 130,557 virus cases across its 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Of those confirmed cases, 103,712 have been discharged and 1,578 have resulted in deaths. Other states which recorded new cases on Saturday include FCT (298), Anambra (86), Rivers (54), Taraba (45), Ogun (42), Oyo (40), Akwa Ibom (38), Sokoto (30), Ebonyi (30), Imo (28), Kaduna (28), Osun (27), Kano (21), Benue (19), Edo (17), Gombe (15), Ekiti (9), Delta (8), Jigawa (3), Kwara (2), Bayelsa (2) and Plateau (1).   CHANNELS...

Medical workers wearing protective suits as a precaution against COVID-19 deliver a patient to the fever clinic at a hospital in Beijing on January 13, 2021. GREG BAKER / AFP     A partial lockdown was imposed on the Chinese capital Wednesday, with 1.6 million residents banned from leaving Beijing, after a handful of cases were detected. Seven cases were reported in the city on Wednesday, including six in southern Daxing district. All 1.6 million residents of Daxing must not leave Beijing unless they have received special permission from the authorities and tested negative for Covid-19 in the past three days, the district said. Meetings of 50 or more people in the district have been banned, while “weddings should be postponed and funerals simplified,” the district government said. It also ordered all kindergarten, primary and secondary students in the district to study at home. Residents of five Daxing neighbourhoods where the cases were detected were ordered to remain in...

President Donald Trump pardoned his former Chief Strategist, Steve Bannon, as part of a last-minute clemency spree before he leaves office. The White House announced that Trump was pardoning Bannon and 72 others early Wednesday, just hours before president-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony was set to begin. Trump also commuted the sentences of 70 people. Bannon was arrested in the summer and is accused of defrauding people who donated to a campaign to privately build a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico. He pleaded not guilty and was released on bail. A trial was planned for May. “Prosecutors pursued Mr Bannon with charges related to fraud stemming from his involvement in a political project. “Mr Bannon has been an important leader in the conservative movement and is known for his political acumen,” the statement issued on behalf of Trump said. Bannon joined Trump’s team in 2016 and took charge of the campaign. The 67-year-old is credited with playing a significant role in Trump...

Joe Biden, President-elect, United States of America. Joe Biden will be inaugurated as the 46th president of the U.S. on Wednesday, capping off a chaotic election season in a country still divided by Donald Trump’s unfounded claims of voter fraud. The inauguration ceremony will start at 10:30 am (1530 GMT) with Biden and incoming Vice President Kamala Harris sworn into office at noon. Hundreds of thousands of people usually attend the ceremony, but this time around there will only be a small crowd due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has now killed more than 400,000 Americans. Security precautions have also been bolstered after rioters supporting outgoing President Trump stormed the Capitol earlier this month. More than 25,000 National Guard troops will be working in Washington to secure the inauguration. In a break with tradition, Trump will not attend Biden’s swearing-in and subsequent gathering of all living presidents. Vice President Mike Pence will be in attendance. Trump ...

Foreigners caught not wearing face masks on the Indonesian resort island of Bali are being subject to an unusual punishment: push-ups. Video footage circulating on social media this week shows tourists in T-shirts and shorts being made to do the exercise in sweltering tropical heat as masked security officials stood over them. Bali authorities made wearing a face mask in public mandatory last year as Indonesia battled a raging Covid-19 outbreak. In recent days, however, scores of foreigners have been caught without face coverings, said security official Gusti Agung Ketut Suryanegara. More than 70 people paid a fine of 100,000 rupiah ($7), but about 30 others said they did not have the cash. Instead, they were ordered to do push-ups. Those not carrying a mask had to do up to 50, while those who were wearing one improperly were punished with 15. “At first, they would claim that they didn’t know the regulation,” Suryanegara told AFP. “Then they said they forgot, or that the mask was w...

By Nwafor Sunday Following the seven days ultimatum given to herdsmen to ‘vacate the forests’ of Ondo state, by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, and of course a riposte from the Presidency faulting his order, a former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, Wednesday, condemned Gabar Shehu’s intervention, noting that quit notice cannot be given to law-abiding citizens in any part of Nigeria, but can be given to those that kill, steal and seek to destroy the lives of others. Akeredolu had last two days ago, ordered herdsmen to leave Ondo forest, stating categorically that the ‘unfortunate incidents happening in his state are traceable to the activities of some bad elements masquerading as herdsmen’. He said: “These felons have turned our forest reserves into hideouts for keeping victims of kidnapping, negotiating for ransom and carrying out other criminal activities. “As the Chief Law and Security Officer of the State, it is my constitutional obligation to do everything lawful to protect t...

NWANOSIKE DONALD OTITO  Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, has announced that school resumes on 20th January, 2021, for the continuation of 1st Semester examination for 2019/2020 academic session, in accordance with the 4 weeks close down of schools for covid-19 guidelines issued by the Federal Government of Nigeria.  This was made know through the memo released by the Polytechnic Registrar, Dr. E. J. Onyemenonu, on this day 18th Jan. 2021. According to the memo, continuation of 1st Semester examination for 2019/2020 academic session starts on 1st February 2021. It also, mandated all students writing the examination to pay their school fees on or before 1st February 2021. The memo which stated that students are to fill undertaking forms to be of good conduct from the polytechnic website online, also said that the forms are to be signed and stamped at the High Court, Magistrate Courts, Justice of Peace or Notre Public and submitted to the Dean, Student Affairs for ...

By Olasunkanmi Akoni   Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has urged the Senate President Dr Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of House of Representatives Mr Femi Gbajabiamila to “urgently review the 2021 appropriation legislation to stop the government of President Muhammadu Buhari from selling public properties to fund the 2021 budget,. SERAP also urged them    to identify areas in the budget to cut such as salaries and allowances for members and the Presidency to address the growing level of deficit and borrowing.   The Minister of Finance Mrs Zainab Ahmed had last week reportedly confirmed that the Federal Government would sell some-government-owned properties to fund the 2021 budget. This is in addition to the government’s growing borrowing also to fund the budget. SERAP noted that the N13.58 trillion budget for the 2021 fiscal year signed by President Buhari on December 31, 2020 is about N505 billion higher than the budget proposed in October, 2020....

  The Coordinator Defence Media Operations, Major-General John Enenche has said that Boko Haram insurgents no longer have authority over any part of the country, especially in the northeast where the insurgents once had a stronghold. Speaking on Channel Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Enenche explained that what the country now has are remnants and a weakened enemy (Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters). “They are moving from bush to enclave and enclave to bush and no longer have any authority or sovereignty on any territory in the northeast and by extension, to Nigeria,” he said. The comments come on the same day that the nation marked the Armed Forces Remembrance Day, in honour of the fallen heroes of the military. While the nation continues to record some successes in its insurgency war, many have faulted the government’s claims of its success, even as many, including frontline officers have had to pay the supreme price. Still, the government has severally reiterated that the in...

Crossdresser James Brown recently shared a video on IG claiming he received a death threat from Bobrisky. Brown, however, said he is not competing with him. Legit.ng

FILES) In this file photo taken on May 21, 2020 Worker move a coffin with the body of a COVID-19 victim out of a refrigerated container before its cremation at the El Angel crematorium, in Lima. The new coronavirus pandemic has claimed more than 600,000 lives worldwide, an AFP tally showed July 18. Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP   The number of deaths credited to the coronavirus pandemic has crossed the two million mark, data from John Hopkins University showed on Friday. The soaring number of fatalities is matched by the spread of infections, with Europe recording nearly a third of the worldwide total. With cases still mounting and vaccination drives still in their infancy, many countries are doubling down on virus restrictions. Portugal entered a fresh lockdown Friday while Britain began requiring negative tests for entry, and new curbs on populations were announced from Italy to Brazil and Lebanon. Looking to bring forward crisis talks with regional leaders, German Chancellor Angela Me...

Nyesom Wike By Egufe Yafugborhi PORT HARCOURT – GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike has join the calls for change of Nigeria’s heads of security and rejigging of the nation’s security architecture as Boko Haram and bandits up north continue to overwhelm federal forces. Wike during wreath laying and parade to mark 2021 Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, on Friday, said the time has come for Federal Government (FG) to take decisive action and end the insurgency menace. He said, “A country is as strong as its Armed Forces. The inability to defeat the Boko Haram insurgency despite years of full military engagement shows all is not well with our approaches and commitments to the battle against internal insecurity. “Today raises the need for all of us to be worried by the deteriorating security situation across the country and to restate the call on FG to do everything necessary to bring the threat by Boko Haram and armed bandits to a decisive end in the shortest possible time. “W...

The National Examination Council (NECO) says that 233,000 candidates who could not write the examinations as a result of the #EndSARS protests will join external candidates to write the examinations in February. Mr Azeez Sani, Head of Information and Public Relations Division of the council told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday. He said that the Council Registrar, Prof. Godswill Obioma, while announcing the 2020 results, said that 12 states were disrupted during the conduct of the examinations as a result of the effects of COVID-19 pandemic and the #EndSARS protests. Sani said that the affected candidates would now sit for those papers missed during the forthcoming SSCE (External) scheduled to hold between Feb. 1 and March 3. He said that the special arrangement was at no extra cost to these candidates. He listed the states affected to include Abia, Enugu, Edo, Rivers, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Lagos, Oyo, Kano, Ogun States,  and FCT. Sani also said the affected subj...

Members of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department check commuters’ documents at a roadblock. PHOTO: Getty Images South African police have arrested more than 7,000 people caught without face masks in public since the end of December, the government said on Wednesday. Officials made face coverings mandatory in May last year at the same time as they gradually eased movement restrictions imposed in March to stem coronavirus infections. A partial lockdown was reinstated last month as the virus resurged, fuelled by a more transmissible variant. Officials at the time vowed to be more stringent in enforcing the regulations, which include an alcohol sales ban. Police Minister Bheki Cele on Wednesday said more than 20,000 people had been arrested or fined since December 29 for breaching the new rules, including 7,455 people detained for not wearing face masks. More than 830 people have also been arrested for selling, dispensing and transporting alcohol. “Law enforcement agencies do not enjoy ...

The United States House of Representatives has  impeached President Donald Trump  for “incitement of insurrection” at last week’s Capitol riot. He is the first president in US history to be twice impeached – to be charged with crimes by Congress. Mr Trump, a Republican, will now face a trial in the Senate, where if convicted he could face being barred from ever holding office again. The impeachment measure passed largely along party lines. Mr Trump is due to leave office on 20 January, following his election defeat last November to Democrat Joe Biden. After several hours of impassioned debate on Wednesday, the Democratic-controlled House voted. Six Republicans said beforehand they would side with Democrats to impeach the president. But the majority of conservatives remained loyal to Mr Trump. But it is unlikely Mr Trump will have to leave the White House before his term in office ends in one week as the Senate was not expected to convene in time. Last week, 139 Republicans vot...

The Defence Headquarters says the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole has knocked down more terrorists’ hideouts, killing scores in two locations in Borno. The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche,in a statement on Sunday, said the attacks were conducted on Saturday at Kote Kura and Bulama Isamari communities in Borno. Enenche said the Air Task Force employed an appropriate force packages of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets and helicopter gunships based on credible intelligence. He said the intelligence revealed that the Boko Haram terrorists had established camps within the two settlements where they store their logistics as well as plan and launch attacks. According to him, overhead Kote Kura, a settlement in Bama area, the NAF attack aircraft engaged scores of terrorists observed in the target area. “The attack led to the neutralisation of several of them as well as the destruction of structures and logistics stores, some of which were seen engulfed...

By Chinonso Alozie&Nnamdi Ojiego The emergence of a parallel electoral committee for the election of a new executive committee of apex Igbo group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has been dismissed as inconsequential by Chief Garri Igariwey, chairman of the electoral committee appointed by President-General of the body, Chief John Nwodo. Last Friday, embattled Secretary-General of Ohanaeze, Uche Okwukwu, had announced a 21-member electoral committee, headed by Chief Richard Ozubu. Okwukwu, who made this known in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting held in Owerri, said the Igariwey-led committee set up during an Imeobi convened by Nwodo was null and void. Electoral process He said: “Unauthorised people not mandated by the Ohanaeze constitution have hijacked the electoral process to impose their preferred President-General. “Imposition of a candidate for President-General is illegal, undemocratic and unacceptable. The electoral timetable, as pursued by the illegal Nwodo-led Ohanaeze, is del...

Hassan Stan-Labo …Warns: Repentant bandits, terrorists may have become double agents, terrors in their communities …‘Security experts’ ‘espionage visit’ to North-East’ By Chris Onuoha In the second part of his interview with Sunday Vanguard, Colonel Hassan Stan-Labo (rtd), a former Chief of Staff, 9 Brigade, Nigeria Army, Ikeja, says he is not surprised about the insecurity in Nigeria as, according to him, millions of arms/weapons are in wrong hands. He also speaks on amnesty for bandits and terrorists as well as the visit by some security experts to the war front in the North-East. Excerpts: Paying of ransom to kidnappers has now become the rule rather than the exception. What do you think? Is it the right thing to do in our circumstance? Paying of ransom to kidnappers could actually encourage the art of kidnapping. However, in the absence of a better option, as is always the case, relations are compelled to do the needful. Payment of such ransom could save the lives of victims. Conti...