The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, on Friday, disclosed that the Federal Government has released N4.5bn to 31 federal teaching hospitals and medical centres nationwide.
He said the sum covered hazard and inducement allowances of striking doctors for April and May.
Ngige disclosed this to State House correspondents shortly after he, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire; and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo, briefed the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by the National Association of Resident Doctors.
He said, “Just this morning, before we went to see Mr President, the Ministry of Finance reported that as at this morning, 3 am, they have paid the allowances for hazard and inducement to 31 teaching and Federal Medical Centres and specialist hospitals of the Federal Government service and they have expended close to N4.5 billion on the payment because we are paying them the arrears of April and May.
“The payment for June will also be done immediately these ones are sorted out.
“Again, it is important to report to you that in consonance with what he is saying, we have arranged a meeting for them to speak to the Nigerian Governors’ Forum because you don’t mix apples and oranges.
“The issue of health is on the concurrent list, so the Federal Government will do its own and the state governments will be expected to do their own. Some of their grievances border on what they feel the state governments have not done.”
2. BREAKING: Obaseki joins PDP.
The much-awaited day finally came as Governor Godwin Obaseki formally joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after his recent resignation from the All Progressives Congress.
He was received by the leadership of the party led by the state Chairman of the PDP, Hon Tony Aziegbemi.
He just arrived the state Secretariat of the PDP along 1st East Circular Road with many of his followers and appointees.
The announcement was made on the official Twitter handle of the PDP on Friday afternoon.
“Breaking News! The governor of Edo State, H.E. @GovernorObaseki has defected to our great Party, the @OfficialPDPNig. The declaration was made this afternoon at the state Secretariat of our party in Benin city, Edo State. Power to the people. #EdoIsPDP,” the tweet read.
3. FG sets agenda towards lifting 100m Nigerians out of poverty.
The Federal Government has set up a plan to fulfil its pledge of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty, by creating jobs through different Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari in his 2019 Democracy Day address said, “With leadership and a sense of purpose, we can lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.”
In order to actualize the vision, Sen. George Akume, Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs has convened an inter-ministerial meeting with other ministries to collaborate towards achieving the set goals.
According to a communiqué issued by Mrs Julie Jacobs, Director Press, in the ministry on Friday in Abuja, the meeting chaired by Akume had in attendance; Alhaji Sabo Nanono, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and Alhaji Suleiman Adamu, Minister of Water Resources.
It was resolved that collaboration among the MDAs was a much needed action towards fulfiling Mr President`s vision.
While commending Akume for the initiative to create the framework of cooperation among the MDAs, the ministers agreed to be active in playing their own roles to achieve their mandates in addressing the vision.
4. COVID-19: Kaduna may lockdown completely if infection increases, says El-Rufai.
The Kaduna State government has hinted that should the state experience a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases, it may be forced to completely lockdown in order to curtail the spread.
It however, expressed confidence in its capacity at the moment to test and treat cases, especially with the activation of a mobile van known as ‘Wellness On Wheel (WOW)’, which uses the revolutionary GeneXpert machine to test for both Tuberculosis and COVID-19.
Speaking during the inauguration of the initiative, the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, explained that it became necessary in order to further contain the spread of the disease, even as states across the country are easing restrictions.
He said, “We have decided that now that we are confident of our testing capability, we have enough test kits and our health system is becoming prepared to deal with the problem, we can open up and we have opened up and we are monitoring the situation.
“We are still reviewing the result of the last weekend compliance level of places of worship, and based on the result of compliance as well as rate of infection, we may lock down again.
“I am saying this for everyone in Kaduna State to hear. If we get to a level that the infection rate will overwhelm our health system and our health workers, we may lock down again, we will go back to complete lock down.
“I am appealing to the people of Kaduna State to comply with the protocols and minimize going out.
“Our health system is stronger and we have much testing capacity, we are much confident in dealing with the problem and we have a good success rate in the treatment of people that are infected, but let us not take things for-granted.
“This disease is a killer. I know it, I have experienced it, I don’t want any one in Kaduna State to experience it and if it becomes necessary to close down the borders and completely lock down, we will not hesitate to do it because, as I said, from the beginning, we will do whatever it takes to protect lives and we can apologise later for the inconvenience, but life comes first.”
5. A’Ibom youths block East-West road for vacant NDDC position.
Thousands of youths on Friday staged a peaceful protest along the Ikot Abasi -Port Harcourt portion of the East-West road in Akwa Ibom State.
The youths demanded the position of Executive Director Finance and Administration in the Interim Management Committee(IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The position was occupied by Mr. Ibanga Etang, an Akwa Ibom indigene, who died recently reportedly from COVID-19.
The youths, led by chairman of Concerned Youths of Akwa Ibom and his vice, George Eduok and Theophilus Akpan respectively pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to replace the late Etang with an Akwa Ibom indigene.
Eduok. who is the chairman of the group, appreciated Buhari for appointing Senator Godswill Akpabio as Niger Delta Affairs minister overseeing the NDDC.
He, however, maintained that justice, fair play and equity will be achieved if the President replaces Etang with an Akwa Ibom person considering the status of the state as the number one oil producing state in the country.
They also passed a vote of confidence on the IMC of the NDDC, describing it as focused and able to deliver on its mandate to transform the Niger Delta region.
6. COVID-19: Oyo records highest single-day infections with 103 cases.
Oyo State on Thursday recorded 103 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the state to 764.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control made this known while giving an update on its website.
A breakdown of COVID-19 cases in the state showed that the state recorded its highest single-day increase with the 103 cases.
The NCDC said, “Seven hundred and forty-five (745) confirmed cases were reported in the last 24 hours from 21 states.
A further breakdown of the cases showed that Oyo has 474 active cases, while 281 have recovered and nine dead.
The state currently has the fourth-highest COVID-19 cases in Nigeria.
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