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)

Nigeria records 416 new coronavirus cases, total now 10, 578

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control announced 416 new cases of coronavirus in the country.

The NCDC made the announcement on Monday, adding that no fewer than 299 patients have died of coronavirus-related complications in the country.

416 new cases of #COVID19;

Lagos-192
Edo-41
Rivers-33
Kaduna-30
Kwara-23
Nasarawa-18
Borno-17
FCT-14
Oyo-10
Katsina-7
Abia-5
Delta-5
Adamawa-4
Kano-4
Imo-3
Ondo-3
Benue-2
Bauchi-2
Ogun-2
Niger-1

10578 cases of #COVID19Nigeria
Discharged: 3122
Deaths: 299

BREAKING: FG lifts ban on religious gatherings

The federal government on Monday lifted the ban on religious gathering across the country.

This was disclosed by the secretary to the government of the federation and chairman of presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, at the daily media briefing in Abuja.

“The PTF submitted its recommendations and the PRESIDENT has approved the following for implementation over the next four weeks spanning 2nd – 29th June, 2020, subject to review-:

“Cautious advance into the Second Phase of the national response to COVID-19; application of science and data to guide the targeting of areas of on-going high transmission of COVID-19 in the country;

“Mobilisation of all resources at State and Local Government levels to create public awareness on COVID 19 and improve compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions within communities; sustenance of key non-pharmaceutical interventions that would apply nationwide and include: ban of gatherings of more than 20 people outside of a workplace;

“Relaxation of restriction on places of Worship based on guidelines issued by the PTF and protocols agreed by state governments.” (The Nation)