News
42 COVID-19 infections recorded, FG rules out restrictions
The Federal Government has insisted it will not impose COVID-19 restrictions on China despite the rising infections in the East Asia country.
The Coordinator and Technical Head of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, Dr Muktar Muhammad, who stated this in an interview with The PUNCH in Abuja on Sunday, however, said the government has raised the surveillance level in the country.
China’s decision to relax its strict COVID-19 rules to curb the virus and lack of transparency has been greeted with some anxiety in many countries.
At least 23 countries have imposed restrictions on travellers from China amid fears of an increase in COVID-19.
Data from the World Health Organisation shows that China reported 24,565 new cases on January 13, 2023, and so far there are 10,855,369 confirmed cases and 33,698 deaths.
However, Muhammad said countries imposing restrictions on China are doing so without a scientific basis as available data shows that cases are increasing worldwide.
He said, “For us, what we are doing now is to try to raise our surveillance level to be able to understand what kind of viruses are coming in, to continue to do our genomic sequencing to identify the variants that are coming into Nigeria so that we will have credible intelligence on what we need to do.”
The expert said the government has intensified surveillance at sentinel points to monitor the situation in the country.
He added, “We believe what is happening is not more than a seasonal increase in upper respiratory tract infections, including COVID-19, and we are monitoring the various variants circulating in the world.”
Meanwhile, the centre has confirmed 42 new cases of the virus in the country in two weeks
The cases were recorded in Lagos, Edo, Kano, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Plateau States as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
The 42 new cases brought the nation’s confirmed COVID-19 infections to 266,492, according to the NCDC.
Benson Upah, spokesperson for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has cautioned that Nigerians might eventually face petrol prices of N5,000 per litre.
In an interview with Weekend Trust, Upah criticized the recent increase in fuel pump prices and argued that it contradicts the agreement previously made between the NLC and President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He asserted that the Federal Government’s claims of restoring the fuel subsidy are untrue.
Upah remarked, “The subsidy was never reinstated as they have stated. So, what justifies the rise in pump prices from N650 to N1,500 or even N2,000?
“This situation suggests that we might not have seen the worst yet. There is a possibility that fuel prices could reach N5,000 per litre. We hope it doesn’t come to that, but if it does, it will be up to Nigerians to make the decision.”
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced the receipt of a two million Naira bank draft from Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, a former student loan beneficiary.
This information was disclosed in a statement by Monalisa Dike from the Corporate Communications Department of NELFUND on Friday in Abuja.
Dike noted that Awomolo had received the loan during his undergraduate studies at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) from 1975 to 1977.
She mentioned that Awomolo had fully repaid the loan, showing his strong commitment to the country.
“The original loan amount was N1,000 for two academic sessions, which played a crucial role in his completion of the law degree.
“Although Awomolo had attempted to repay the loan several times over the years, he was only able to settle it now.
“In his letter to NELFUND’s Managing Director, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, Awomolo expressed his appreciation for the student loan opportunity provided by the Nigerian government,” Dike said.
She added that Awomolo praised the transparency and accountability NELFUND has shown in managing student loans.
Dike emphasized that Awomolo’s repayment highlights the enduring impact of President Bola Tinubu’s initiative and NELFUND’s continued importance in supporting Nigerian students.
She also mentioned that the repaid funds will be used to support the education of current students in need of loans.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has issued a warning to the public about scammers pretending to represent the NDDC Youth Internship Scheme.
The NDDC also noted that registration for the scheme ended on August 31, 2024.
This information was released in a statement on Friday by Seledi Thompson-Wakama, Director of Corporate Affairs at the commission, and shared with DAILY POST.
The statement reads, in part: “We have received reports of individuals receiving unsolicited messages claiming they have been selected for the NDDC Internship Scheme, which includes requests for personal information and an acceptance fee.
“The NDDC does not charge any fees for placing qualified youths in its internship programme. We want to make it clear that these fraudulent selection messages are not affiliated with the NDDC.
“Any official communication from us will only come through our verified websites and social media channels. If you receive a message like this, please ignore it and report it to the relevant authorities. Your safety and privacy are our top priorities.
“For genuine inquiries about our empowerment programs, please contact us directly through our official channels.”
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