Nigeria records three cases of Omicron COVID-19 variant – NCDC
Nigeria has joined the growing list of countries that have confirmed cases of the new COVID-19 variant called Omicron.
The Omicron variant was identified in three travelers from South Africa last week through genomic sequencing of positive samples by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
The World Health Organization (WHO) had labeled the new variant a Variant of Concern (VOC) after it was seen to be more transmissible and an increased risk of re-infection.
The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, urged states to ensure strict compliance with preventive measures, while ramping up sample collection and testing, especially with approved Antigen-based Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT).
He also urged Nigerians to get vaccinated and adhere to the proven safety measures such as wearing face masks, regular hand washing and (or) sanitizing with alcohol-based sanitizers, and physical distancing.
#EndSARS White Paper: Lagos govt says no massacre at Lekki tollgate
The Lagos State government has said the findings of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry that nine persons were killed at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, last year, was not true.
According to a white paper released Tuesday, the state government said the “finding was baffling because apart from listing out their names the Judicial Panel of Inquiry offered no explanation regarding the circumstances of their death.”
John Obafunwa, the chief pathologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), had earlier testified that only three of the bodies that they conducted post-mortem examination on were from Lekki and only one had gunshot injury and this was not debunked.”
Aside from dismissing the findings that nine persons were killed, the government said it disagreed with the findings that hospitals treated victims of gunshot wounds from Lekki tollgate on the night of the shooting.
EFCC rearrests Femi Fani Kayode in court
A former minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has been re-arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged forgery and document falsification allegations
According to a report, Fani-Kayode was arrested on Tuesday after proceedings at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The former minister was up by operatives of the commission, after the judge, Daniel Osaigor, adjourned proceedings in an ongoing trial involving alleged N4.9 billion fraud. He was said to have been immediately driven to the commission’s office.
Sources familiar with the matter informed newsmen that Fani-Kayode was being investigated for document falsification of his medical report to evade his ongoing trial for alleged fraud.
The EFCC is prosecuting Fani-Kayode and two others on 17 counts of conspiracy, money laundering, and fraud to the tune of N4.9 billion.
Subsidy removal will boost the economy – Former Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Former Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Muda Yusuf, says removal of fuel subsidy would boost the economy.
Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, had announced that the government would remove the fuel subsidy and replace it with a monthly N5,000 transport stipend to about 40 million poor citizens.
In an interview monitored on Channels Television on Tuesday, Yusuf said the Federal Government cannot continue to spend N3 trillion annually on fuel subsidies.
Yusuf urged the current administration to deploy the money being spent on subsidies to primary healthcare, basic education, and rural roads adding that subsidy removal would have a lot of social implications.
Robert Lewandowski reacts to Lionel Messi 7th Ballon d’Or win
The Bayern Munich star also tipped his hat to Alexia Putellas, the winner of the women’s Ballon d’Or award, as well as all other nominated players.
France Football named Lionel Messi as the winner of this year’s Ballon d’Or award. The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar finished with 613 points, while runner-up Robert Lewandowski amassed 580.
Despite the disappointing loss, Lewandowski took to social media to congratulate Lionel Messi on winning his seventh Ballon d’Or award and expressed his gratitude towards Bayern Munich and the fans for their support.