Month: July 2020

Tension in Ghana as local spare-part traders lock-up Nigerians’ shops

Aoko Benjamin

  There is a fresh tension at the popular Abossey Okai spare parts market in Ghana as Ghanaian traders lock-up shops of their Nigerian counterparts, heightening fresh diplomatic  row between the two West Africa countries. The Ghanaian traders who were daring about their action, Accra-based JoyNews said in a report, insisted that the laws of Ghana do not allow foreigners to engage in retail trade, reason for their actions. They also accuse the Nigerians of selling substandard products at cheap prices, a practice the Ghanaian traders say is killing their…

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1, 000 Muslims Assemble on mount Arafat for historic Hajj

Aliyu Aliyu

  About 1,000 Muslim faithful only, first time in many decades, performed the 2020 Hajj rites, which reached the peak on Thursday with the standing on mount Arafat. Worshipers observed the first rituals of an historic Hajj on Wednesday, with around 1,000 pilgrims adhering to “safety bubbles” and social distancing measures over fears of the coronavirus. While the Hajj typically features large crowds crammed around Islam’s holiest shrine, this year’s annual pilgrimage has seen worshipers circumambulating the Kaaba along concentric circles marked on the ground. Several feet separated the mask-clad…

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Facebook, Twitter, YouTube delete right-wing Doctors’ viral video, say COVID-19 claims false

Tim Bauer

  A video featuring a group of doctors allegedly making false and dubious claims related to the coronavirus was removed by Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube after going viral online Monday, CNN has reported. The video, published by the right-wing media outlet Breitbart News, featured a group of people wearing white lab coats calling themselves “America’s Frontline Doctors” staging a press conference in front of the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC. President Trump shared multiple versions of the video with his 84 million Twitter followers Monday night despite the dubious…

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Eid-el-Kabir: EKEDC deploys staff for 24 hours Service delivery, Promises memorable, enjoyable feasts

Damilola Olonade

  Nigeria’s leading power utility firm, Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), has deployed staff for a 24/7 (round the clock) essential services, particularly to attend to the needs of customers in order to ensure a memorable and enjoyable Eid-el-Kabir celebrations. This, the utility firm that connects major parts of Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital to the grid said, became necessary at a time when the world is still battling to contain the spread of the coronavirus. In a statement signed by the General Manager, Corporate Communications, Godwin Idemudia, EKEDC assured its…

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Sallah: Nigeria declares Thursday, July 30, Friday, 31 Public Holiday

Aliyu Aliyu

  The Nigerian Government has declared Thursday, Friday July 30 and 31 as public holidays to mark this year’s Eid-el-Kabir Celebration. This was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Georgina Ehuriah. The country’s Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, also  congratulated Muslim faithful and all Nigerians both at home and abroad on the occasion. “He called on the Muslims to continue to imbibe the spirit of love, peace, kindness and sacrifice, as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) and…

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Nigeria makes U-Turn, Opens Secondary Schools August 4

Tim Bauer

WAEC confirms Platforms Africa’s report, starts WASSCE August 17 Nigeria has made a U-Turn over closure of schools as it ordered the reopening of Secondary Schools from the 4th of August, 2020 for exit classes only. The country’s Ministry of Education, which made this known in a press statement shared on its Twitter handle, @NigEducation, confirmed a report by Platforms Africa about the rejection by West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) of a plea by the Nigerian government for it to shift the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). The…

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Two directors dump FCMB 3 months after AGM + NAMES

Damola Oyede

  Two directors, Mr. Olutola Mobolurin and Mr. Olusegun Odubogun have resigned from the Board of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Group Plc. The affected directors who were present at the company’s virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in April following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, issued to the group, a month notice of disengagement, which expires on Friday, July 31, 2020. In a corporate disclosure posted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and duly signed by the Company’s Secretary, the FCMB Griup Plc confirmed the resignation and noted: “The Board also…

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Ghana lifts restrictions on Churches, Mosques, extends free power, water supply till December

Aoko Benjamin

  72-year old President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, has returned from a two-week quarantine over COVID-19 scare   Ghana has announced further lifting of restrictions on Churches and Mosques as well as an extension of free water supply to all citizens and free electricity to lifeline customers in the country till end of the year. President Nana Akufo-Addo who just returned from a two-week quarantine over COVID-19 scare made this announcement in an address to the nation on Sunday. He declared that the length of worship at Churches has also…

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N’Deltan Senators, Reps on NDDC’s N82bn contracts list are petty thieves – Asari-Dokubo

Efe Wellington

  Nigerian notorious Militants’ ex-leader, Mujaheed Asari-Dokubo, has alleged that leaders from the country’s Northern region are gùilty of armed robbery over Niger Delta resources   A former leader of Militants’ group in the Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta, Mujaheed Asari-Dokubo, has described the Senators and members of the country’s House of Representatives representing the Niger Delta who were mentioned as beneficiaries of over N82 billion controversial contracts by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as petty thieves. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has earlier listed members of the…

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Nigeria’s Loss To Power Epilepsy Hits $28bn – World Bank

Precious Ibekwe

World Bank demands enhanced accountability in disbursement of its $750 million loans to Nigerian power sector The World Bank has declared that Nigeria has lost $28 billion to power epilepsy rocking the country. The apex bank, which stated this in a document in which it demanded accountability on $750 million loan it approved for Nigeria’s power sector, maintained that what the country lost to inability to fix power problem was equivalent to two per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). “The economic cost of power shortages in Nigeria is estimated…

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