My Son Sent Me Congratulations Message From Isolation Centre – Ekiti Father In Viral Video

Mr Femi Adeoye, the Ekiti father who severely reprimanded his son for flouting COVID-19 regulations, has revealed the message his son sent to him from an isolation centre in the state.

In a viral video that circulated this week, Adeoye could be seen refusing his son’s offer to come home after the son travelled from Lagos to Ekiti State despite a ban on inter-state travel and against his father’s advice.

Adeoye, a retired road safety official, insisted the boy must undergo the required test to ascertain his health status.

In recognition of the man’s self-discipline, Governor Kayode Fayemi appointed him a COVID-19 Response Ambassador in the state.

The 65-year-old said his son has reached out from the isolation centre to say he was proud of him.

Speaking to the media about the incident, he explained, “I am a paramilitary officer; I worked with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and retired seven years ago. I was brought up in a Christian home; I am a native of Osi Ekiti in Ido Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State. When the pandemic started, I was following the trend, the government’s efforts and activities.

“Ekiti State was given a commendation on the stipulated measures. When a woman sneaked into Ekiti, the cases increased, the governor was not happy about it in his broadcast, Governor Kayode Fayemi announced the extension of the lockdown, with total monitoring of the entry points by security agents, visitors were quarantined and isolated.

At that time, my son who has been in Lagos called he wanted to come over, I told him not to come because of the situation, though he’s an applicant and might not be comfortable where he was, but this is pandemic. I asked him to hold on, but he insisted on coming. I immediately alerted security task force set up by the government.

“To avert trouble, I informed the NCDC and COVID-19 task force to be vigilant on a commercial vehicle that my son is coming from Lagos. The security eventually tracked him down at Efon, they took him to Fajuyi Pavilion in Ado Ekiti and informed me of the development. I headed to the place and insisted I couldn’t take him home, he has mixed with different people in the vehicle; they said I should take him that he doesn’t have the virus. But I refused because I don’t want him to be a risk to the family and Ekiti people in general. Moreover, the man who said I should take him and sent the video is not a medical doctor. I insisted he should be quarantined and isolated, not that I don’t love my son, but I want him to be at peace.”

Asked if did not think that his decision could have negative effects on his wife and son, Adeoye said, “As for the mother, ever before I took the step, I counseled her. The mother is 60, while I am 65 and the boy stands a risk. The mother totally supported my action, as for the son, if at all he was psychologically disturbed, that would be temporal, even the boy in isolation has been sending good comments, happy and proud of me. The governor said he would spend the 14 days in isolation.”

Fresh News

2020 UTME: JAMB remits N7bn to FG

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB) has returned N3.5 billion to the Federation Account from the excess generated from its operations during the conduct of 2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

The board said it had earlier returned N3.5b to the government following the sales of ePINs to UTME candidates, bringing the total remittances this year by the board to N7 billion.

The board pledged to make further remittance to the government as soon as its operations are concluded and proper audit of its books done.

JAMB’s Head of Media and Information, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, disclosed these in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Last year, the board returned N5 billion to the government coffers but was later asked to keep N2 billion to enhance its operations by the government.

According to the statement, the remittances were in line with the Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede’s avowed commitment to remit wholly, excess funds generated from its operations to the federal government.

It added that the board was able to return the excess to the government coffers despite reduction in the cost of ePIN sold to candidates from N5000 to N3, 500 as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari last year.

Over 1.9 million candidates wrote this year’s examination, making it the highest in the history of the board so far.

It reads: “The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB) has made an interim remittance of N3.5b to the Federal Government consolidated account for the 2020 expected remittance in line with Prof. Is-haq Oloyede’s avowed commitment to remit wholly, excess funds generated from its operations to the federal government.

“It had earlier made the payment of over N3.5b to candidates by way of reduction of N1,500 from the cost of each ePIN sold to each candidates as graciously directed by Mr President totaling over N3.5b bringing the total remittances this year to over N7b with the assurance to remit more as soon as its operations are concluded and proper audit of its books done.”

The statement explained that it’s the intension of the board to return to government coffers excess funds made from its operations.

“From the outset, it had been the intention of the present leadership of the board to return to federal coffers, whatever is left unutilised from its operational imperatives.

“The immediate benefit of the move manifested in the reduction by President Muhammadu Buhari of the UTME Registration fee payable by candidates from N5000 to N3500 which entails the transfer of over N3b to candidates and guardians annually via the reduction in the cost of application documents.

“Before the reduction in the cost of application ePINs, the board had remitted over N7b in 2017 and replicated same in subsequent years until the gracious action by the Buhari administration’s unprecedented decision to give back to candidates a percentage of the cost of registration.

“To sustain the gesture, the board will continue to come up with innovations on ways to ensure that candidates are provided with world-class services at modest cost as obtained anywhere in the world,” the statement added.

The Nation

[BREAKING] COVID-19: Attendees at Abba Kyari’s burial test negative

The Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA has said those who attended the burial of the late Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari have now completed their 14 days of isolation and have tested negative for Covid-19.

Consequently, they have been reunited with their families.

Acting Secretary Health and Human Services Secretariat in the FCT, Dr Muhammed Kawu disclosed this in a statement Sunday in Abuja.

He said; “The Health and Human Services Secretariat of the FCT Administration is happy to announce that the individuals exposed during the burial of late Chief of staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari, have completed their 14 days of isolation. Tests were conducted on them and they have all tested negative to COVID 19. They have been reunited with their families”.

Kyari was buried on April 18 at the Gudu Cemetery in Abuja, but the event saw many government officials violating the social distancing measures of the federal government.

Consequently, both officials and journalists who attended the burial were sent on mandatory 14-day isolation.

Vanguard

BREAKING: CBN, banks suspend staff lay-off

The Central Bank of Nigeria and the banks in the country have agreed to shelve the planned sack of workers in the banking sector as a result of the pandemic.

This was contained in a statement on Sunday by the apex bank’s Director, Corporate Communications, Isaac Okorafor.

The PUNCH reports that the Presidential Task Force Team on COVID-19 had said last week that banks would be allowed to re-open for commercial operations as the lockdown eases in parts of the country effective Monday, May 4.

"In order to help minimize and mitigate the negative impact of the COVID19 pandemic on families and livelihoods, no bank in Nigeria shall retrench or lay-off any staff of any cadre (including full-time and part-time).

“To give effect to the above measure, the express approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria shall be required in the event that it becomes absolutely necessary to lay-off any such staff.

PUNCH

Lagos records three COVID-19 deaths, 22 more recoveries

The Lagos State Government on Sunday announced three COVID-19 fatalities, while 22 others were discharged from the isolation centres in the state.

The state Ministry of Health, via its Twitter handle, @LSMOH, said the state had now recorded a total of 28 COVID-19 deaths and discharged 247 patients who had recovered from the infection.

It tweeted, “As of May 2, 2020, 62 new cases of COVID-19 Infection were confirmed in the state, making a total of 1,084 confirmed cases. 22 COVID-19 Lagos patients were discharged. Total discharged now 247.

“Unfortunately, three COVID-19 deaths were recorded. This brings the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in Lagos to 28.”

Punch

COVID-19: Access Bank restructures salaries, operations

As businesses worldwide take a hit as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Access Bank has informed employees that it will be implementing a reduced pay-structure, affecting all employees, including its Group Managing Director, Herbert Wigwe.

The reduction is expected to significantly reduce the Bank’s operating expense as it navigates through the uncertainties surrounding the global pandemic.

Deducing from the announcement, Wigwe will be taking a 40 percent reduction in annual income.

Since the pandemic, businesses have been significantly hit and have been confronted with the difficult decision to make necessary adjustments in terms of their cost structure to ensure that they come out of the pandemic stronger

Speaking on the decision made by the bank, Wigwe said: “ We are today, as an institution faced with the current economic crisis resulting from the pandemic, we have taken certain measures to control costs across the institution at all levels, to achieve greater efficiency and continue to run a profitable business post COVID-19.

In a statement made available to The Nation, Wigwe noted that the Bank, with a strength of over 30,000 employees, is not oblivious of the difficult times but is determined to ensure that it’s staff remains in employment.

“To keep to this commitment, we have made a decision at management level to restructure salaries. This will start with me, who will have a salary restructure of 40 percent while other employees will have their salaries slightly reduced as well. It has become essential to take this decision in the interim, considering economic realities and hope to reverse it as soon as economic activities become stable,” Wigwe said.

He assured the bank’s customers of smooth customer service experience to enable them to transact seamlessly amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, while it continues to apply sustainable business practices to ensure that it delivers value to stakeholders even after the Coronavirus pandemic.

According to the statement, Wigwe, in a podcast to employees, explained: “As part of the Bank’s commitment to protecting the lives of our staff, we adhered to all directives from government agencies and global health organisations, and reduced our capacity to operate profitably.

“For an institution like ours, it is important for us to rationalise our cost structure, service provider structure and salary structure, all in a bid to drive greater efficiency to weather the storm ahead.”

“In fulfilling our promise and ensuring the long-term durability of our commitment not to retrench employees, we have made the difficult decision to minimally reduce salaries of staff, using a top-bottom approach.

“This is a challenging time for businesses all over the world and while we can’t predict when the pandemic will end, we are committed to innovating our business operations to ensure normalcy is restored to our payment structure,” he said.

The statement further explained that the drive for greater efficiency to withstand the effects of Coronavirus pandemic on businesses underpinned recent decisions by Access Bank Plc.

Wigwe revealed that the institution was taking proactive measures to remain a solid institution post Covid-19.

At its Annual General Meeting (AGM), last Thursday, the CEO had informed shareholders the bank was already addressing the issue of high operating expenses and taking drastic measures to ensure that expenses are reduced significantly. This is to ensure that Access Bank remains strong and profitable when this is over.

“Going into this difficult times several companies across the world are taking cost cutting measures including staff rationalisation, some adopting furlough to remain in business. The Nigerian economy is not insulated from the threat of another recession arising from a crash in oil prices and the Covid-19 pandemic that has shattered businesses, he explained.

Speaking on how Access Bank is running its business in the COVID-19 period, Wigwe assured that the bank has put in place a robust business continuity process enough to sustain the Bank’s performance going forward.

“Access Bank was well prepared for the COVID-19 early enough and created ways of working from home and working with our customers. We set up links with our customers and devise ways of reaching out to them three or four times in a day. This happened even before we started working with the larger society and enabled us to start fighting this pandemic,” he concluded.

The Nation