News
Minister of Education says Nigerian Schools Will Not Participate in WASSCE this Year
460 new cases of coronavirus were recorded in Nigeria on Wednesday, July 8, as confirmed by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC).
The new cases recorded across states in the country are as follows; Lagos-150, Rivers-49, Oyo-43, Delta-38, FCT-26, Anambra-20, Kano-20, Plateau-18, Edo-14, Bayelsa-13, Enugu-13, Osun-12, Kwara-10, Borno-8, Ogun-7, Kaduna-6, Imo-4, Bauchi-3, Gombe-3, Niger-2, Adamawa-1.
There are now 30,249 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 684 deaths has been recorded in Nigeria. 12,373 patients have also been discharged after recovering from the disease.
A breakdown of cases by state can be found via https://t.co/zQrpNeOfet#TakeResponsibility pic.twitter.com/SYNjwteAPk
— NCDC (@NCDCgov) July 8, 2020
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Minister of Education – Mallam Adamu Adamu
Nigerian students will not participate in WASSCE this year
The Federal Government has stopped students from participating in the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations scheduled for between August 4 and September 5.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, disclosed this to State House Correspondents at the end of a meeting of the Federal Executive Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, The Punch reports.
The Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, had during the press briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Monday announced that the 2020 WASSCE conducted by WAEC would hold between August 4 and September 5.
Prior to this, PTF had directed the reopening of schools for students in graduating classes of Primary 6, Junior Secondary School 3 and Senior Secondary School 3 to enable them to prepare for their final examinations. Adamu Adamu said on Wednesday said Nigerian schools will not reopen any time soon until it is safe to do so because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said:
Our schools will only open when we believe it is safe for our children and that is when the situation is right, not when the incidence of the infection is going up in the country. I just want to make it clear. We will not open soon for examination or for any reason unless it is safe for our children, even WAEC. WAEC will not determine for us what to do. Schools will remain closed.
He added:
I will also like to use this position to ask those states that have already announced (reopening), I appeal to them. I think it is not safe. I feel responsible for all children, not just those who are in Federal Government-controlled schools. Please let’s save our children from this.
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Wearing of face masks might prevent ATMs from face detection
Banks are advising customers to remove their face masks when carrying out transactions through ATM to ensure that their faces are properly recognised.
While some banks have implemented the wearing of face masks as a condition to enter the banking halls, they have also advised customers to remove it when making transaction on ATMs, because the face detection features in ATMs which prevents an ATM from dispensing cash if it is unable to recognise the face of the user.
An email to customers from Fidelity Bank reads:
Wearing of face masks is safety and precautionary measure we must all adhere to in this period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, we advise that you remove your face mask while making withdrawals or carrying out ATM transactions to allow our ATM properly recognise you. Fidelity Bank ATM machines have face detection features installed to curb incidences of fraudulent ATM withdrawals.
Consequently, you may not be able to carry out any transaction if our ATMs are not able to properly recognise you. We apologise for the inconvenience that this may cause you.
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408 Nigerians stranded in India and the United Arab Emirates UAE successfully evacuated
According to the Nigerian Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), 162 of them were evacuated from India while 246 were evacuated from the UAE.
According to the commission, all the evacuees tested negative for COVID-19 before boarding the flights.
246 Evacuees arrive Murtala Muhammed Int’l Airport, Lagos at exactly 3:30 pm local time via Emirates from UAE today, Wednesday 8th of July, 2020. A big thank you to the Nigerian Mission in Dubai and the UAE government for paying for the flight Tickets and the cost of #COVID?19 test for 131 evacuees.
All Evacuees tested Negative to #COVID19 and will now proceed on 14 days SELF-ISOLATION as mandated PTF on #COVID-19.
Air Peace flight conveying 162 Evacuees arrive Nnamdi Azikiwe Int’l Airport, Abuja at about 7:30pm local time from India, today Wednesday, 8th of July, 2020. 96 Evacuees will disembark in Abuja while 66 will proceed to Murtala Mohammed Int’l Airport, Lagos.
All Evacuees tested Negative to #COVID19 and will now proceed on 14 days SELF-ISOLATION as mandated by NCDC, Federal Ministry of Health and the Presidential Task Force on COVID19.
Tickets and the cost of #COVIDー19 test for 131 evacuees.
All Evacuees tested Negative to #COVID19 and will now proceed on 14 days SELF-ISOLATION as mandated PTF on #COVID-19.@NigeriaGov @DigiCommsNG
2/2. pic.twitter.com/6awE96WJCC
— Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (@nidcom_gov) July 8, 2020
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1,729 patients discharged, 354 still under isolation & 181 coronavirus related death in Lagos
The number of coronavirus-associated deaths in Lagos State increased to 181 on Wednesday with four more fatalities. Lagos State Health Commissioner, Akin Abayomi disclosed made this known in an update on the case management of the virus in the state via his verified Twitter account.
The commissioner tweeted:
123 new COVID-19 infections were confirmed in Lagos on July 6th, 2020 out of a total 602 COVID-19 tests conducted. The new cases bring the total number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in Lagos to 11,387. The total number of COVID-19 tests conducted in Lagos now stands at 44,580.
1,729 of the confirmed cases have since been discharged from COVID-19 Care Centres following full recovery. 6,866 of the confirmed cases monitored in communities by COVID-19 Lagos response team have either fully recovered or positively responding to treatments.
354 of the cases are currently under isolation in public and private care centres. Additional 4 COVID-19 related deaths were recorded in Lagos bringing total COVID-19 related deaths in Lagos to 181. 2,257 active cases in communities are yet to turn up for admission in care centres.
?Total number of #COVID19 tests conducted in Lagos now stands at 44580.
?1,729 of the confirmed cases have since been discharged from #COVID19 Care Centres following full recovery.
?6, 866 of the confirmed cases monitored in communities by #COVID19 Lagos response team
— Prof. Akin Abayomi (@ProfAkinAbayomi) July 8, 2020
?2,257 active cases in communities are yet to turn up for admission in care centres.
— Prof. Akin Abayomi (@ProfAkinAbayomi) July 8, 2020
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Nyesom Wike sacks permanent secretary for flouting & obstructing the enforcement of the COVID-19 guidelines
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has sacked a permanent secretary in the state for flouting and obstructing the enforcement of the COVID-19 guidelines. The permanent secretary was accused of “chasing away officials of the state Ministry of Health, who went to Oyigbo to enforce the established guidelines on public burials”.
In a statement released by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Communications Paulinus Nsirim, Wike said the sack of the permanent secretary would “serve as a lesson to all other public officers who might wish to be irresponsible”.
The statement reads in part:
Burial ceremonies are also reportedly being conducted in clear breach of the 50 persons maximum attendance limit, such that a serving permanent secretary had the temerity to chase away officials of the state ministry of health who went to enforce the established guidelines on public burials at Oyigbo.
As a Government, we are serious with our own responsibilities and those who take our resolve for granted and think that they can undermine our efforts at will without suffering consequences are gravely mistaken.
Consequently, the permanent secretary, establishment, Mr. Sunny Okere has been relieved of his appointment with immediate effect for flouting and obstructing the enforcement of the guidelines on public burials. This should serve as a lesson to all other public officers who may wish to be irresponsible.
Appealing to residents of the state, the governor said his government will not relent in its commitment to save lives. He urged the residents to abide by the measures and protocols put in place to fight the spread of the virus in the state.
The Governor also announced that bars, cinemas, viewing centres and related business remain closed until further notice.
We are closely monitoring compliance with the wearing of face masks in public places, including transport vehicles, and urge residents to strictly comply or risk arrest and prosecution. All supermarkets and related stores and businesses must continue to enforce social distancing and the compulsory wearing of face masks or risk being sealed off.
A state joint task force made up of security and civilian personnel has been set up to enforce the wearing of face masks in the state. We are appraising the prospect of opening our markets to public trading and would do so once we are satisfied that it is safe and proper with appropriate guidelines to enforce social distancing, hand washing, basic hygiene practices, and the wearing of face masks.
We are taking necessary measures to decontaminate our public schools, protect our children and ensure the safe resumption of schools for terminal classes in line with the federal government’s guidelines on a date to be announced by the commissioner of education.
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