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SaharaReporters’ ‘Expose’ on Nigeria’s Communication Minister Pantami Palatial Buildings, Another Journalism Ethics’ Low by JAMIU FOLARIN

July 7, 2020July 8, 2020 admin

On Friday 3rd July, 2020 SaharaReporters release pictures claiming that the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami bought house each for his three wives. The picture ‘expose’ by SaharaReporters is crystal clear to even budding journalists that it violates the basic ethical principle of journalism. The first report by the online media platform showed pictures of three buildings allegedly bought by Dr Pantami for each of his three wives. The outcome of the “investigation” by Sahara Reporters could only boast of five images not captioned, ‘exposing’…

Banks, Oil firms, traders fret as Nigeria begins Africa’s 2nd longest bridge shutdown July 24

July 7, 2020 Efe Wellington

11.8km all-important Third Mainland Bridge’s shutdown to last till January 2021 The Nigerian Government has announced the shutdown of the 11.8 kilometers Third Mainland Bridge, second longest in Africa, for six months starting from Friday, July 24. This decision, Platforms Africa gathered exclusively, has raised concerns among staff of Banks, Oil Companies and other corporate institutions with headquarters or major offices on the various Islands in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital. The bridge is longest and biggest of the three bridges that link the companies headquarters to the Muritala Muhammed…

Panic in Ghana’s Girls School as 6 pupils test positive for Covid-19

July 6, 2020July 6, 2020 Aoko Benjamin

Barely a week after the government of Ghana reopened schools, heavy security presence buoyed by panic rocked the Accra Girls Senior High School after parents began trooping there to withdraw their wards. This, according to a report by Accra-based news medium, JoyNews follows reports that the school has recorded some cases of coronavirus nearly a week after the school reopened for final year students. Some parents successfully withdrew their wards from the institution over the weekend. Speaking on Beyond the Lockdown, JoyNews reporter Maxwell Agbaba stated that one parent said their ward was…

Confusion as Madagascar Imposes Fresh Lockdown, COVID-19 cases surge

July 6, 2020 Tim Bauer

Madagascar has placed its capital Antananarivo under a fresh lockdown following a new spike in coronavirus infections which has surged confirmed cases to 2,728, including 29 deaths. The new lockdown was imposed barely two months after the restrictions were eased, the presidency announced in a statement obtained by Platforms Africa. “The Analamanga region (under which the capital is situated) is returning to full lockdown,” the presidency said in the statement issued on Sunday, July 5, 2020. “No traffic will be allowed in or out of the region starting Monday until…

First results from COVID-19 drug trials ready within next two weeks – WHO

July 5, 2020 Aliyu Aliyu

The World Health Organization expects initial results from clinical trials it is conducting of drugs that might be effective in treating COVID-19 patients, within next two weeks. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news briefing on Friday just as Mike Ryan, head of the WHO’s emergencies programme, said it would be unwise to predict when a COVID-19 vaccine could be ready for mass distribution. While a vaccine candidate might show its effectiveness by year’s end, the question was how soon it could be mass produced, he told…

Lagos Embargoes Boarding Schooling, Fixes August 3 for SSS 3, TEC3 Pupils’ Resumption

July 4, 2020July 4, 2020 Damola Oyede

The State Government of Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, has announced August 3 resumption date for pupils in “transitional classes,” but stated that all resuming pupils must be coming from home as there would not be boarding schooling for now. The State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who made the disclosure in a televised press briefing monitored by Platforms Africa on Friday, July 3, however, noted that students in Senior Secondary School three and Technical Study three would resume first on the said August 3, 2020. Sanwo-Olu stated that the resumption date for…

Polaris Bank, Pan Ocean’s feud over N240bn loan degenerates + AMCON’s OML 147 takeover

July 3, 2020 Tim Bauer

The feud between Polaris Bank-led consortium of lenders and Pan Ocean group over N240 billion loan has degenerated with Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON’s) takeover of Pan Ocean Oil Gas company with all its assets inclusing Oil Mining Lease (OML) 147. Pan Ocean had accessed funding for the project from the consortium of banks led by Polaris Bank Limited (Former Skye Bank Plc) for the development and production on Oil Mining Lease (OML) 147, which came from OPL 275 in 2014. OML 147 is expected to attain peak…

Raising Finance to Acquire A Marginal Field? Key Issues to Consider – FBNQuest

July 3, 2020 admin

On the 1st of June 2020, the Federal Government of Nigeria (“FGN”) via the Department of Petroleum Resources (“DPR”) formally announced the commencement of the long-awaited marginal field bid round. According to the guidelines published by the DPR, a marginal field is defined as a field that has been discovered and left unattended for a period of not less than 10 years from the date of first discovery or such field as the President may from time to time, identify as a marginal field. The first marginal field bid process…

AKK: Oando Underscores Public-Private Partnership for Nigeria’s goal actualisation

July 2, 2020 Efe Wellington

Group Chief Executive, Oando Plc, one of the Partner-contractors on the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline Project, Jubril Adewale Tinubu, joined other Executives to attend Presidential Flag Off Ceremony of the project, where he underscored Public Private Partnership in accelerating the actualization of the Nigeria’s goals. The company is a partner in a two party consortium consisting of Oilserv Limited and Oando PLC (Oilserv-Oando PLC consortium) handling the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) mandate for segment 1, accounting for 40” by 303.4km linear pipeline system for the Ajaokuta to Kaduna…