Following the announcement by the Aviation Ministry that the Lagos and Abuja airports will reopen on the 8th of July, Arik Air announced on Sunday that its domestic flights will resume from July 8.

Chief Executive Officer, Capt. Roy Ilegbodu, announced in a statement that the airline would operate 3 flights from Lagos and Abuja in phase 1 of the re-opening. 

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He also announced that flights to Port Harcourt will begin on July 11 when the airport reopens. Some part of his statement read:

“We are ready to fly our esteemed customers again. All preparations have been made to make flying in this extraordinary period in the world safe and pleasurable.

“The airline has put various measures in place, in line with COVID-19 health protocols, as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

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“Passengers have been assured of their safety and wellbeing at every stage of their flight.

“Arik has worked actively with aviation agencies for an effective re-start of the industry and also ensure that agreed health measures are effectively implemented.”

The CEO then advised that all passengers adhere to social distancing guidelines and wear face masks during the flights. Arik Air had suspended operations on March 27 after the Federal Government closed the airports to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria.

Arik Air to resume flights on July 8 as FG lifts ban on air travel

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Thursday intercepted the unveiling of an alleged COVID-19 herbal syrup by a herbalist in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The herbalist, Paul Oni, had concluded arrangements to unveil his syrup at a briefing on Thursday at the Centenary Hall in the Ake axis of Abeokuta.

However, officials of NAFDAC stormed the venue in the company of policemen and officers of the Department of State Services, DSS, disrupting the gathering.

Channels Television reports that Oni was later led to the factory where he planned to produce the anti-COVID syrup and the factory was subsequently sealed after inspection.

While speaking with reporters after the factory was sealed off, the herbalist lamented the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country. Oni cried out over what he described as outrageous approval levies by the drug and food agency, adding that he could not afford the cost of approval and clinical trials.

“The normal cost that you will incur in going through the NAFDAC process is about N600,000 which does not include the clinical trials of N1.5 million.

“So, when I saw the cost, I concluded that I should seek help through a press conference. I am sure this herb can help people that have contracted COVID-19,” he said.

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Furthermore, Oni said he did not bypass the agency’s procedures, saying the programme was meant to seek partnership and support, as well as raise funds to enable the syrup undergo the proper processes and certification.

Oni said that his medicine was ‘anti-viral and anti-malignant’ and capable of curing COVID-19, alleging that all efforts to reach the Minister of Health for support have yielded no.positive results so far.

“Maybe through that, people will come to help me. NAFDAC will come to help me and give me a waiver; the Nigeria Institute for Medical Research will hear what I have said about them and they will come and assist me.

“This was the purpose of the press conference; I have not produced the Oxibiotics for sale. I just have a couple of bottles that I want to show NAFDAC and to the Nigeria Institute for Medical Research, as samples,” he stated.

READ ALSO, Oyo police vow to end killings in Akinyele local govt

Addressing the reporters after sealing off the factory, an official of the agency said the drug’s unveiling was disrupted because the product had not been certified scientifically.

He said, “The producer is a client. He knows the procedures, having secured NAFDAC numbers for some of his products on two different occasions in the past.

“But this product, in particular, has not passed through the NAFDAC processes. Besides, he did breach advertisement control policy by advertising the product.”

NAFDAC intercepts unveiling of alleged COVID-19 drug in Abeokuta

The Oyo State Police Command on Thursday promised that it would ensure that culprits behind incessant killings in Akinyele Local Government Area of the state are arrested.

Commissioner of Police, Nwachukwu Enwonwu made the declaration during a courtesy call on the executive members of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council in Ibadan, the state capital.

Enwonwu, who made this known at the NUJ Secretariat in Iyaganku before the NUJ Chairman, Mr. Ademola Babalola, and other members of his executives, said that the police would work assiduously to apprehend the culprits and maintain a low level of crime in the state.

He said, “I am pleased to inform you that the crime rate in Oyo State has been relatively low and we are working assiduously to maintain that low level of crime in Oyo State.

“I will not allow any policeman to toil with the fundamental human rights of Oyo people and other citizens resident in Oyo. Under my watch, we will offer quality service delivery.

“I don’t want to take complaints against actions of the police reflecting brutality, reckless use of firearms or unprofessional conduct in the course of maintaining law and order in Oyo State”.

Enwonwu said that there won’t be any room for infringements on the rights of members of the public, warning his officers and men to be professional in the approach and performance of their duties.

He thanked the NUJ chairman and members of his executives for the fair reportage of their activities in the state, describing NUJ in the state as the best in the country.

“Virtually all the commands I have been to, the NUJ in Oyo is the best NUJ. I have never lost sleep since I came to Oyo because you have been very fair to us.

“I want to use this opportunity to assure you that we are partnering well and we will continue to cooperate with you. Our doors are widely open to deepening this relationship”.

READ ALSO, Fix Nigerian bad roads in two weeks or else- NUPENG to FG

In his welcome remarks , Babalola commended the commissioner for swinging into action on the Akinyele killings immediately he assumed duty in the state, saying the effort had yielded positive results.

He said, “We want you to please work assiduously to maintain the level of security that we have in the state. We equally want you to collaborate with us as journalists.

“This is a good development. This is the right step in the right direction. We want to assure you that as journalists in this state, we will give you the best of support you can ever think of,” he said.

Oyo police vow to end killings in Akinyele local govt

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has given the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum to rehabilitate the bad roads all across the country.

NUPENG also asked the government to immediately address the issue of multiple roadblocks and extortions from all security agents or the union might be forced to embark on a serious industrial action to  “drive home our case.”

The National President of NUPENG, Prince Williams Akporeha, made this known at the end of the union’s virtual National Executive Council meeting on Thursday. He said, “We wish to urgently draw the attention of the Federal Government to the harrowing experiences of the owners of petroleum trucks in the country.

“The only means of moving petroleum products across the country is by roads, using the trucks. We can confidently tell you that this means of distribution is presently endangered and require urgent Federal Government stimulus intervention fund to prevent it from total collapse.”

According to him, most of the nation’s highways are becoming death traps for the union’s members, most especially Calabar-Itu-Uyo, Port-Harcourt-Aba, Mokwa-Jebba-Kaduna, Port-Harcourt-Owerri, Warri-Benin-Auchi-Okene-Lokoja stretch of the country.

He said, “We are shocked at the lackadaisical attitude of local, states and federal governments to the issues of addressing the degenerating state of Nigeria roads before the coming of the current raining season despite all our warnings for them to make necessary construction, repairs and maintenance of all our roads, which are now in a parlous state and becoming practically impassable.

READ ALSO, Christians must rise against Jihadist soldiers out to Islamize Nigeria – IPOB

“The issue of bad roads is further compounded by the various security agencies who now set up multiple checkpoints on these deplorable roads to further exploit and extort money from motorists. Petroleum tanker drivers are the worst hit by the exploitative tendencies of these unscrupulous security agencies.

“The brazen extortion of our members, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic was really disconcerting and unfortunate.”

The union said it could no longer continue to fold its hands and watch its members, who toil day and night, keep suffering on the bad roads and in the hands of security agents.

Fix Nigerian bad roads in two weeks or else- NUPENG to FG 

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Friday charged Christians to rise against Fulani Jihadist soldiers plotting to Islamize Nigeria. IPOB made this call while condemning the recent attacks on some Southeast indigents by Fulani herdsmen.

The group urged politicians in the Southeast to rise up and defend their land.

In a statement, IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful said the Fulani are gradually taking over the country. In IPOB's words, “We are calling on Judeo-Christians in Nigeria to stand up against the upcoming jihadist soldiers scattered all over Nigeria to Islamize the country.

“The country is clearly coming to an end, Christians must not allow Islam to humiliate them again in Nigeria. All politicians in Biafraland must come out and defend their land because Fulani has taken over, we are aware of the humiliation of past politicians like Late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and others because they were out to defend their people British colonialists humiliated them.

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“Today Fulani people are humiliating politicians who are ready to defend their people especially politicians from Biafraland.

“We are informing all Christian nations and organizations across the globe to know how Nigeria’s government and her partners in crime are killing Biafrans and other Christians in Nigeria. Before we match all these nations and organizations must be aware of the caliphate plans to eliminate Christians in the north and Biafra land.”

Christians must rise against Jihadist soldiers out to Islamize Nigeria – IPOB

In defiance of the ‘no work, no pay’ directive of the government of Cross River State, the Chairman of the Cross River State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Benedict Ukpepi, has ordered the striking civil servants to remain at home.

Ukpepi, who made this announcement on Wednesday, said, “Cross River workers should continue staying at home until the contentious issues are resolved.”

The strike called by the NLC over issues bordering on the welfare of workers entered its third day on Wednesday. The Permanent Secretary in the office of the Head of Service, Emmanuel Eke, had made the announcement on Tuesday that the Head of Service had directed all public servants not to join the strike, saying it was illegal and ill-timed.

READ ALSO, NMA condemns attack on FMC Lokoja, shuts down hospital

The circular had read, “Workers are reminded that the labour unions responsible for the affairs of the state civil/public servants, the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council and Trade Union Congress, have dissociated themselves from the industrial action.”

In the circular, workers were also told that the ‘no work, no pay’ policy was still in force and warned that any worker who failed to report for duty would not be paid.

Cross River workers defy ‘no-work, no-pay’ directive

The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Kogi State chapter, has reportedly condemned the attack on the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Lokoja by hoodlums on Wednesday.

This was made known in a statement jointly signed by the state Chairman and Secretary of NMA, Dr Zubair Kabiru and Dr Okungbowa Osaretin, respectively. They described the attack on FMC Lokoja premises as ”uncivilised and uncalled for”.

According to the statement, “The hospital is where lives are saved; it is uncivilised for it to be attacked for whatsoever reason.

”The staff of the hospital had planned to have a peaceful protest over their safety in the hospital as a result of the ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19 in the state.

”However, before the protest could start, some unknown hoodlums stormed the hospital premises and disrupted the planned peaceful protest. This action has led to the total shutdown of the only functional tertiary healthcare facility in the state."

READ ALSO, Ondo loses Commissioner for Health, Wahab Adegbenro to COVID-19

The assailants had shot sporadically on arrival and thereafter carted away some laboratory equipment, laptops, doctors’ phones and other important documents.

”NMA Kogi State, believes that the action of these hoodlums is totally uncalled for and condemns it in absolute terms.”

The association also urged the State and Federal Governments to bring the perpetrators to book, while ensuring adequate security for healthcare workers in the state.

NMA condemns attack on FMC Lokoja, shuts down hospital

Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Wahab Adegbenr, has died of COVID-19 complications.

It was gathered that Adegbenro died at the state Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH in Akure, Ondo State capital on Thursday.

His death came a day after the governor Rotimi Akeredolu's COVID-19 positive status was announced.

Ondo loses Commissioner for Health, Wahab Adegbenro to COVID-19

The Joint Health Sector Unions have expressed displeasure over the insistence of the Ministry of Health that some categories of health workers be paid 10 per cent of their basic salaries.

According to JOHESU,  the agreement was that 50 per cent of health workers basic salaries would be paid  as special hazard allowance across board. The unions have declared that they will have a meeting with the federal government today.

However, the President of JOHESU, Josiah Biobelemoye, decried the discrimination and segregation of health workers in the payment of COVID-19 hazard allowances by the Federal Government.

Biobelemoye said, “We are very mindful of the consequences of shutting down the health system at this critical period, but we are being forced to toe this path because we entered an agreement to replace whoever is earning N5,000 as hazard allowance should be replaced with 50 per cent of the basic salary.

But today, some machinations have taken place to redefine who a health worker is. That is to say some persons are no longer health workers and so they should be paid 10 percent.

READ ALSO, I plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty- Buhari

“Some of these persons that they have discriminated against fall under the categories of health workers that are more exposed than some of the professionals that are paid 50 per cent.”

Biobelemoye warned that the unions might be forced to mobilize their members to down tools if  Wednesday’s (today) meeting fails to address all its grievances.

He said, “We are hoping that by the end of the meeting, ministry of health will think better than pushing us into shutting the health system down and the ministry of health will correct its misinterpreted documents.”

Health workers threaten strike over hazard allowance

President Muhammadu Buhari has spoken about his administration’s plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within the next 10 years.

Buhari stated this while speaking in a video message to a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

During the meeting, an initiative aimed at supporting actions to eradicate poverty, the Alliance for Poverty Eradication (APE) was launched.

Buhari expressed his government’s determination to invest more in education, especially of the girl-child.
READ ALSO, FG orders DSTV to suspend tariff hike

“Nigeria attaches great importance to poverty eradication.

“It is for this reason that in May 2019, on my inauguration for 2nd term in office, our government committed itself to starting a new programme of lifting a 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within a 10-year period,” he said.

The president also spoke extensively on the health vs economy debate amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

I plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty- Buhari

The Federal Government has ordered the management of MultiChoice, to suspend the implementation of its new hiked tariffs on different bouquets on its DSTV.

This was stated in an order given by the Acting Director General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Armstrong Idachaba, on Tuesday.

In addition, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the government has plans to break the Sporting rights monopoly of DSTV.

Idachaba and Lai Mohammed spoke at the National Assembly, while briefing members of an Ad Hoc Committee looking into the hike in tariffs.

Idachaba said, “I want to agree with the Committee and call on DSTV to suspend the hike in tariffs.”

Mohammed had earlier told the Committee that he had already signed a code to break the monopoly of MultiChoice in Nigeria.

“Our amendments to the Broadcasting Act, will affect the break in the monopoly of MultiChoice. Amendments to Section 628 of the Broadcasting Act, is in our broad national interest.”

The lawmakers who quizzed the government officials on the new payment template issued by the South African owned company on payment of DSTV subscription, lamented the high cost of tariffs.

According to the lawmakers, the increase in the price of subscription of satellite television on the Pay As You Go system was an affront that must be suspended with immediate effect.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed a suit filed by a former Kogi West senator, Dino Melaye, against the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill 2020. The lawsuit challenged some provisions of the controversial Bill which is more popularly referred to as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Bill.

The hearing, was presided over by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu and she upheld the notices of preliminary objection filed against the suit for lack of jurisdiction to hear it.

The judge, who did not consider the case on merit, claimed that the issue raised in it was not justifiable, as the bill cannot become a subject of litigation until it is signed into law.

Former senator, Melaye had on May 5, 2020, filed the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/463/2020, urging the court to delete sections 5, 8, 15, 16 and 17 of the bill. According to him, these sections constituted a violation and would likely violate his rights under the Nigerian Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights as well the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.

The provisions of the bill being contested by Melaye included the ones seeking to empower the Director-General of the NCDC to compel anyone to take medical examination or treatment and also collect the blood sample of such person in the case of a public health emergency.

Some of the provisions also seek to empower the NCDC to take over any premises and turn them into isolation centres without compensation for the owner. In addition, the bill also seeks to arrest and detain a suspected infected person without his or her consent.

The plaintiff alleged that the controversial bill would specifically violate his fundamental rights to dignity of his person, personal liberty, private and family life, right to freedom of movement and right to own immovable property in Nigeria.

READ ALSO, NLC embarks on strike in Cross River

The respondents to the suit are the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu. The judge however struck out the IGP’s name for the failure of the plaintiff to disclose any course of action against him.

Court dismisses Melaye’s lawsuit against NCDC bill

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