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Showing posts from November 6, 2020

WTO Postpones Meeting To Pick New Director-General

The World Trade Organisation has postponed a meeting next week where members were to pick a new Director-General, AFP learnt on Friday. The WTO’s 164 member states had been due to gather on Monday to choose between two Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and South Korea’s Trade Minister, Yoo Myung-hee. But the head of the selection committee set up to help with the process told members on Friday that the meeting would need to be postponed. “It has come to my attention that for reasons including the health situation and current events, delegations will not be in a position to take a formal decision on 9 November,” General Council chair, David Walker, said in a communication seen by AFP. “I am therefore postponing this meeting until further notice during which period I will continue to undertake consultations with delegations,” he added. The WTO selection committee, known as the troika, has held months of consultations with members towards finding a replacement for Roberto Azevedo, who in Au

EXCLUSIVE: COVID-19 Hits Queen’s College Lagos As Pupils Test Positive, Health Officials Collect Over 200 Samples

Some pupils of the Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos State, have tested positive to COVID-19 while a few symptomatic others have been isolated at the school bay, according to information reaching SaharaReporters from multiple credible sources. On Friday, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, led other health emergency officials to the school to collect the samples of about 200 pupils for COVID-19 tests, according to school teachers who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “Some of our pupils were exposed to the virus, and they have symptoms. So, the state officials were called in to collect their samples. About six pupils had tested positive to the virus earlier, and they have been taken to a treatment facility in town,” a female teacher explained. “All the pupils are the target for sampling. There are about 600. But on Friday, over 200 pupils’ samples have been taken by the officials. I don’t know how many pupils tested positive initially, but there are quit

Court Grants CBN’s Request To Freeze Bank Accounts Of #EndSARS Protesters

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele. The Central Bank of Nigeria has obtained a court order freezing the accounts of 19 individuals and a public affairs company linked to the #EndSARS protests till January 2021. The request, granted by Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Abuja, was filed by the CBN on October 20. CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele. Some of the affected individuals include Bolatito Racheal Oduala, Chima David Ibebunjoh, Mary Doose Kpengwa, Saadat Temitope Bibi, Bassey Victor Israel, Wisdom Busaosowo Obi. Others affected are Nicholas Ikhalea Osazele, Ebere Idibie, Akintomide Lanre Yusuf, Uhuo Ezenwanyi Promise and Mosopefoluwa Odeseye. Others are Adegoke Pamilerin Yusif. Umoh Grace Ekanem, Babatunde Victor Segun, Mulu Louis Teghenan, Mary Oshifowora, Winifred Akpevweoghene Jacob, Victor Solomon, Idunu A. Williams, and Gatefield Nigeria Limited. The banks where the accounts are domiciled include Access Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Fidelity Bank, First B

#ENDSARS: Lagos Governor Rejects FOI Requests Of Lawyer To Release CCTV Footage, Executive Order On Curfew

Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu The Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led government of Lagos State has turned down the request by rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, to release footage of the Closed-Circuit Television capturing the shooting and killing of peaceful #ENDSARS protesters at Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos, on October 20, 2020. In the Freedom of Information request, Effiong asked Governor Sanwo-Olu to make available to him the Certified True Copy of the instrument (official document) setting up the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Special Anti-Robbery Squad Abuses and Lekki Toll Gate incident. Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu SaharaReporters had reported that Effiong also requested for the executive order or directive under which curfew was imposed on the state from 9:00pm on 20th October, as well as the CCTV records showing the attack on protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate. Turning down the request, Governor Sanwo-Olu in a letter signed by a lawyer, Deyemi Bamgbose, for the Attor

Government Links ‘Strange Deaths’ In Delta Communities To Yellow Fever

Amid growing concerns about the mysterious deaths ravaging two communities in Delta State, the state government has linked the development to Yellow fever. Both Ute-Okpu and Idumuesah communities in Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta had been recording strange deaths since last week. See Also PUBLIC HEALTH Panic In Delta State As Mysterious Death Toll Rises To 30 0 Comments 16 Hours Ago There were reports on Thursday that no less than 30 people had been killed as a result of the strange disease including two siblings. SaharaReporters had gathered that the victims were always between the ages of 18 and 25 years. Speaking on Friday in Asaba, the state capital, Commissioner for Health, Dr Mordi Ononye, said some tests had been conducted to ascertain the real cause of the mysterious deaths. Ononye explained that the results of the tests returned positive for Yellow fever disease. The commissioner claimed that 22 deaths have so far been recorded in the two co

Police Dismiss Female Cadet Over Pregnancy, Hands Over Four Others To NDLEA For Dealing In Narcotics

File Photo A female cadet at the Nigeria Police Academy in Kano State has been dismissed for getting pregnant. Commandant of the Police Academy, AIG Zanna Ibrahim, disclosed this while addressing some matriculating cadets at the Regular Course 7 in the Wudil area of the state. File Photo Mr Ibrahim revealed that four other cadets in the academy were being detained inside the facility of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement for allegedly dealing in hard drugs. He said the cadets were arrested and handed over to the NDLEA after an agent conveying their consignment containing the substance (hard drugs) was intercepted by the law enforcement officials at Kwanar Dangora, along Zaria expressway under Kiru Local Government Area of Kano State. According to him, a total of 25 cadets had also been dismissed from the police institution over alleged indiscipline and gross misconduct. He stated that the academy will introduce drug and pregnancy tests and conduct it on a regular basis on ca

Biden’s Victory Will Attract $700b To Nigeria, Other Emerging Markets, Says Expert

Joe Biden Renaissance Capital (RenCap) analysts have predicted that a win for U.S. Democratic Party presidential candidate, Joe Biden will attract $700 billion investments to Nigeria and other emerging markets. According to RenCap Chief Economist, Charles Robertson, a Biden victory will, in the long run, shift trillions of dollars to Nigeria and other emerging markets. Joe Biden Robertson at the global investment and research firm said he expected Biden to clinch victory with Nevada due to give him six Electoral College votes. In a report to investors titled: “Biden’s victory, trillions into E.M. and lockdown” released on Thursday, the Expert explained that if that happens, many people would wonder why this election race was tight. On the outlook for Nigeria and other emerging markets, he argued that U.S. President, Donald Trump’s possible defeat is good for emerging markets. He said global investors would start re-allocating cash to emerging markets in a big way. See Also

Airspace Restricted Over Biden’s House As Secret Service Assigns More Operatives To Him

Secret Service agents hold the door as Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden arrives at Hank’s Hoagies in the Green Ridge section of Scranton, Pa. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. More US Secret Service agents have been sent to Wilmington, Delaware, in anticipation of a Joe Biden presidential win. According to CNN, the extra Secret Service agents were sent to Delaware Thursday. Secret Service agents hold the door as Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden arrives at Hank’s Hoagies in the Green Ridge section of Scranton, Pa. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. Christopher Dolan / The Times-Tribune via The Associated Press Upon a presidential win, the USSS detail for a president-elect would get larger and mirror the size and scope of a president’s. Additional airspace security measures are also implemented, a source familiar with USSS protocols said. A team for Biden has been on standby since last week, the source said. “This is as expected. It’s a lit

Joe Biden, Kamala Harris Expected To Give Speech Tonight

Plans are underway for Democratic candidate in the United States of America presidential election, Joe Biden, and his Vice President nominee, Kamala Harris, to deliver a speech at primetime on Friday. They are both expecting what is being anticipated as a victory speech. NEW: Joe Biden to give televised broadcast. Biden is currently leading in battleground states of Pennsylvania and Georgia which would cement his victory. #Elections2020 #USElection2020 #USElectionResults FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES: https://t.co/yojzk1cez5 — Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) November 6, 2020 Biden is currently leading in crucial battleground states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada, coasting him closer to clinching America’s top job. His running mate Harris would make history as the first female vice president of the US — also the first black person to achieve this feat. At the moment, Biden leads with 73,708,884 popular votes and 264 electoral votes while Republican candidat

Concerns Grow Over Whether Trump Would Concede Defeat As Joe Biden Inches To Victory

Donald Trump There is a growing concern on whether the United States’ President and Republican candidate in the 2020 presidential elections, Donald Trump, would concede to Joe Biden if he emerges as president-elect. Trump is trailing Biden with 69,772,306 popular votes and a static 214 electoral votes. In comparison, Biden leads with 73,708,884 popular votes and 264 electoral votes having gained the edge in battleground states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona. Donald Trump USA Today See Also Breaking News LIVE UPDATES: United States 2020 Presidential Election Results 0 Comments 2 Days Ago Trump has made several statements to discredit the elections, alleging that it was being stolen from him without any evidence. Most of the court processes filed by his legal team in states where Biden has the lead has been dismissed for lack of merit. Two campaign advisers and one source close to the President said Trump would exhaust his legal avenues for fighting the

Malicious Threats Will Not Deter US, Amnesty International Speaks On Threat To Kill Staff, Burn Offices In Nigeria

Amnesty International has responded to threats by a group in Nigeria to burn its offices and kill staff, saying it would not be deterred to stop speaking on human rights abuses in the country. A group, Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights, sponsored by Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has asked Amnesty International to leave Nigeria within seven days. The group threatened to kill all Amnesty International workers and burn down their Lagos and Abuja offices if the organisation refused to leave the country. The group’s threat followed revelations by Amnesty International that at least 10 persons demanding an end to police brutality in the country were killed by the Nigerian Army during the shooting of peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate area of Lagos on October 20. Video of “NGO” Group Sponsored By Buhari’s Regime Threatens To Kill Amnesty International Workers In Nigeria “NGO” Group Sponsored By Buhari’s Regime Threatens To Kill Amnes