Bauchi deputy governor tests positive to Coronavirus

The deputy governor of Bauchi State, Senator Baba Tela has tested positive to the dreaded Coronavirus disease.

This was contained in a press statement signed and issued by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to Governor Bala Mohammed, Muhktar Gidado, on Tuesday.

The statement revealed that a sample of the deputy governor was taken when there was a noticeable exhibition of the symptoms on him which eventually came out positive, as confirmed by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC).

The press statement further explained that he contracted the virus in the course of discharging his duty as the State Chairman, Task Force Committee on COVID Response of Bauchi State.

According to the statement, Baba Tela has since gone into Isolation and is being taken care of by professional medical personnel.

“Samples of his primary contacts have been taken for tests too and have been equally advised to self isolate pending the outcome of the tests. Governor Bala Mohammed commiserates with his Deputy and solicits for prayers from all, for the speedy recovery of all those infected by the virus,” the statement reads.

The governor also advised citizens in the statement to adhere strictly to laid down medical protocols against the virus in order to curtail its spread among the public. (Vanguard)

Altered certificate: Tribunal orders Bayelsa deputy governor’s appearance tomorrow

THE Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has ordered Deputy Governor Lawrence Oborawharievwo Ewhrudjakpo to appear before it tomorrow to produce the original copy of his disputed certificate.

The tribunal’s order followed a subpoena earlier issued on Ewhrudjakpo to appear and produce the original of the exemption certificate issued to him in 1998 by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The subpoena was issued on the request of the candidate of the Liberation Movement (LM) in the November 16, 2019 governorship election in Bayelsa State, Vijah Opuama.

The politician is challenging Ewhrudjakpo’s qualification to contest in an election.

The petitioner alleged that Ewhrudjakpo submitted a forged exemption certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the election.

Although Ewhrudjakpo, by a motion filed May 17, 2020, challenged the competence of the subpoena and prayed the tribunal to set it aside, his team of lawyers, led by Chukwuma Machukwu Ume (SAN), yesterday applied to withdraw the motion.

The lawyer said his client was no longer challenging the subpoena and was ready to attend the tribunal’s sitting.

Lawyers to the petitioner, Pius Dande Pius, and other parties in the matter did not object to the application to withdraw the motion challenging the subpoena.

Ruling, tribunal’s chairman, Justice Ibrahim Sirajo, struck out the motion and ordered Ewhrudjakpo’s appearance tomorrow.

The tribunal rejected his lawyer’s request that Ewhrudjakpo be allowed to appear next week on the grounds that since Bayelsa State does not have an airport, it would be difficult for the deputy governor to travel in view of the lockdown.

Also, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri is set to submit the list of his commissioner-nominees to the House of Assembly this week, The Nation has learnt.

Nearly four months after the Diri administration of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was inaugurated, following the Supreme Court judgment that upturned the victory of David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the December 2019 governorship poll, the current administration has been run without members of the state Executive Council.

It was learnt that the governor finally decided to send the names to the lawmakers after he had harmonised the list with some godfathers, including former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Governor Seriake Dickson, said to be interested in those to be appointed and those who should not. (The Nation)

Ekiti PDP caretaker committee, Fayose disagree on return of Oni to party

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) caretaker committee in Ekiti State has disagreed with the former governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, on the return of former Governor Segun Oni to the party. Fayose had last week said that there would not be red carpet reception for Oni in the PDP.

The former governor, who said that the governorship ticket of the PDP would not be served on Oni a la carte, however, denied saying that Oni was not welcomed in PDP as reported in the social media.

Speaking through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, Fayose noted that the membership of a political party was optional. However, the committee has described the return of Oni as a big boost to the party and a celebrated achievement to the members of the caretaker body.

It stated this yesterday at a press briefing in Ado-Ekiti. Chairman of the committee, Senator Hosea Agboola and the Secretary, Diran Odeyemi, who spoke at the conference, dispelled the insinuation that the caretaker committee was favouring one of the groups in the party, particular a faction loyal to Fayose.

Agboola said that every member of the party is recognised in the PDP and that those who have the intention of rejoining the party were free to do so without encumbrances.

“The fact that former Governor Segun Oni has just rejoined the PDP is the greatest achievement of this committee.

“We are going to reach out to former Minister of Works, Dayo Adeyeye and others who left before the July 14, 2018 governorship election and bring them back to the party.

“We will never be partial because our mandate and terms of reference is to bring all factions within the party together. We are to bring those who are aggrieved together to be one family so that we can return to how we were in 2002 when former Governor Fayose contested and won election in Ekiti State. We are here to bring the family together and make everybody be on the same page,” he said.

On the steps taken so far in mending fences between Fayose and Senator Biodun Olujimi, Agboola said the trouble-shooting mission was yielding good results, adding: “We are reaching out to those who instituted the court action on how to bring them.(BioReports)

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria now 10,819, fatalities 314

Nigeria has recorded 241 new cases of the Coronavirus across various states of the country.

Announcing via its official Twitter handle on Tuesday night, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) stated that 142 new cases were recorded in Lagos, 15 cases in Oyo State, 13 cases in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), 12 cases in Kano State, 11 cases in Edo State and ten cases in Delta State.

The tweet further revealed that Kaduna and Rivers State recorded nine new cases each, Borno State recorded eight cases, Jigawa State recorded four cases, Gombe and Plateau State had three cases each, with Osun and Bauchi State recording one case each.

As at now, 10819 persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Nigeria with 3239 patients discharged and 314 deaths recorded.

PRESIDENT BUHARI TO AfDB PRESIDENT, ADESINA: I’LL STAND BY YOU

President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigeria will stand solidly behind Dr Akinwumi Adesina in his bid to get re-elected as President of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The President spoke at State House, Abuja, Tuesday, while hosting Dr Adesina on a courtesy visit.

“In 2015, when you were to be elected for the first term, I wrote to all African leaders, recommending you for the position. I didn’t say because you were a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Minister, and I belonged to the All Progressives Congress (APC), so I would withhold my support. I’ll remain consistent with you, because no one has faulted the step I took on behalf of Nigeria,” said President Buhari.

The President pledged that Nigeria would work with all other leaders and stakeholders in AfDB to ensure that Dr Adesina was elected for a second term built on the record of his achievements during his first term.

The African Union had already endorsed the incumbent AfDB President as sole candidate for the continent, but some other stakeholders are trying to ensure that Dr Adesina is re-investigated on some allegations, and rendered ineligible to run.

Giving a background to what was happening in the bank, Dr Adesina, a former Nigerian Minister for Agriculture, said the 16 allegations raised against him were trumped up, “and without facts, evidence, and documents, as required by the rules and regulations of the bank.”

He added that the Ethics Committee of the bank cleared him of all the allegations, and calls for fresh investigation by the United States of America, were against the rules.

“My defense ran into 250 pages, and not a single line was faulted or questioned. The law says that report of the Ethics Committee should be transmitted to the Chairman of Governors of the bank. It was done, and the governors upheld the recommendations. That was the end of the matter, according to the rules. It was only if I was culpable that a fresh investigation could be launched. I was exonerated, and any other investigation would amount to bending the rules of the bank, to arrive at a predetermined conclusion,” Dr Adesina said.

Stressing that the motive was to soil his name, and that of the bank, the AfDB President said he was proud to be Nigerian, and thanked President Buhari for his unflinching support.

“You helped me to get elected in the first place, and you have supported me robustly all along, and the African Union unanimously endorsed my re-election” he declared.

While commiserating with President Buhari on the death of the former Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, Dr Adesina described Professor Ibrahim Gambari, new Chief of Staff as “a man of integrity, and of global standing.”

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media and Publicity)

June 2, 2020

Music legend, Majek Fashek dies

Nigerian music legend and reggae king Majekodunmi Fasheke, popularly called Majek Fashek, is dead.

His death was confirmed by his manager Omenka Uzoma, on the late singer’s official Instagram handle.

“Today been having pressure calls, well it is true that the African No 1 Legendary ICON has gone to be with the LORD his Maker,” he said.

“Let celebrate him, his achievements, and his family, whatever decisions made by his immediate family will be notified.”

Majek was born in Benin-City, Edo state

Until his death, he was one of Nigeria’s surviving Reggae music legend, Majek attracted international attention in 1987, with his self-penned tune, ‘Send down the Rain.’

The singer also played a supporting role in the 2000 Nollywood movie ‘Mark of the Beast. " (The Nation)