Month: May 2020

How 82-year old hypertensive widow recovered from COVID-19 in Nigeria’s Osun state

Subomi Yusuf

  An 82-year-old widow who is also suffering from hypertension has recovered from the coronavirus disease after receiving nine-day treatment at the Isolation and Treatment Centre, Asubiaro, Osogbo, in Osun State. She was confirmed positive and admitted at the State isolation centre on the 13th of May, 2020. The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Rafiu Isamotu, who disclosed this in a statement released on Friday in Osogbo, said the Septuagenarian’s recovery from the virus beats the odds as elderly people with chronic diseases are the highest risk group because  most of…

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Chevron slates 6,750 staff for mass sack 

ADEOLA YUSUF

  Cuts 30% off 2020 spending over COVID-19   Chevron Corporation, America’s super oil major, has slated 6,750 staff for sack in one of the biggest global mass disengagment of work force. The mass sack, the company with major footprint in Africa said, represents a cut of between 10 per cent to 15 per cent of its worldwide workforce as part of an ongoing restructuring at the second-largest U.S. oil producer. Spokeswoman for Chevron, Veronica Flores-Paniagua confirmed this according to a report by Bloomberg, maintaining that Chevron, which has 45,000…

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COVID-19: Switzerland reopens brothels with ‘safe’ sex positions from June 6

Tim Bauer

Switzerland has given the green light for brothels to open on June 6 as the country exits lockdown, with strict health rules including keeping your faces ‘one forearm length apart’ during sex. Doggy style and reverse cowgirl positions are among those which would comply with the new rule – but threesomes are out and ‘anal practices’ will require gloves, reports dailymail.co.uk. Anonymity is also a thing of the past, because clients’ personal details will have to be kept for four weeks in case they are needed for contact tracing. Rules…

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How Nigeria’s oil industry regulator, DPR, paid ₦8bn salary upfront in January – report

Damilola Olonade

  All 610 DPR staff earn more than Nigerian President Nigeria’s oil industry regulator, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), paid over N8 billion as salary upfront in January 2020, Premium Times reported quoting Data analysis by Dataphyte. This is according to the daily payment data published on the open treasury portal. The review of salary payments between January and April 2020 showed two descriptions. The first description is January 2020 DPR Staff Salary. This has only five beneficiaries and sums to ₦29.6 million. The second description, which is 2020 DPR…

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US plots to hijack AfDB – Nigeria’s ex-President, Obasanjo, talks tough

Tim Bauer

   Rallies 13 Africa’s ex-leaders for Adesina   A former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has accused the United States of hatching plans to take over the African Development Bank (AfBD). This is coming after call by the US Treasury Secretary for a new probe of AfDB’s president, Akinwumi Adesina. Obasanjo said this in a letter he addressed to 13 former African leaders, seeking a joint effort of the continental leaders to defend the Bank. In the letter dated May 26 but sighted by our reporter on Thursday, Obasanjo expressed…

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Nigeria mulls slash in oil production cost to $10 per barrel

Tim Bauer

  As Coronavirus wrecks havoc on country’s revenues   Nigeria, Africa’s biggest crude oil exporter, on Thursday declared plans to crash its oil production cost to $10 per barrel. The cost stood at $18 and $23 per barrel, according to data from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Mallam Mele Kyari, who, during an engagement with the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) declared plan to crash the prosuction cost, maintained that the oil price rout affecting the global market has rocked the corporation’s liquidity…

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Mass heart infections’ scare rocks Kenya over Hydroxylchloroquine imports from India

Aoko Moses

    Mass heart infections’ scare has rocked Nairobi, capital of Kenya, over importation of huge conaignment of hydroxylchloroquine into the country. The Kenya’s Ministry of Health has received the consignment of hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial, antiretrovirals and other essential drugs from the Indian High Commission. This came as new study, however – the largest of its kind – shows that hydroxychloroquine does not work against Covid-19 and could cause heart problems. This may be viewed as just another consignment for the ministry. However, the hydroxychloroquine makes it noteworthy. India has…

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Nigeria’s apex bank, CBN, slashes benchmark interest rate to 12.5%

Efe Wellington

  The monetary policy committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reduced the monetary policy rate to 12.5% from 13.5%. Godwin Emefiele, governor of the apex bank, announced the committee’s decision on Thursday at the end of the committee’s meeting. Emefiele said the committee was of the opinion that tightening would be “inappropriate” given the economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cash reserve ratio (CRR) was retained at 27.5% and liquidity ratio at 30%.

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Excitement as Premier League restarts June 17

Tim Bauer

  The Premier League season is set to restart on June 17, sparking excitement across Africa and other parts of the World. The BBC, which reported the June 21 date, noted that the League would restart with Aston Villa v Sheffield United and Manchester City v Arsenal. The matches are the two games in hand. A full fixture list would then be played on the weekend of June 19-21. Clubs are still discussing the idea at a meeting on Thursday, but it is understood all have agreed in principle at…

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Confusion as Kogi, Nigeria’s confluence state, rejects NCDC results, gives reason

Efe Wellington

  Insists NCDC figure fictitious   According to a report by Vanguard, The Kogi State Government, Thursday has denied the two index cases reported by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), insisting the state is still COVID-19 free. Recall the NCDC on its website alleged that, two index cases were recorded in Kogi as at Wednesday, May 27 2020, making the total cases in the country at 8733. In a statement signed by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Haruna Audu, described the claim as a fallacy. The statement reads…

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