news

Update : COVID-19 : The Federal Government has postponed the administration of the second phase of the coronavirus vaccine doses

Published

5 years ago

August 9, 2021

NewsThumb Magz

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha

The Federal Government has postponed the administration of the second phase of the coronavirus vaccine doses.

The Director of Press, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, had announced on Saturday that the administration would commence on Tuesday.

However, in a notice on Sunday, Bassey said the exercise had been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.

The notice titled, ‘Postponement of phase II of national vacation programme,’ reads, “This is to announce the postponement of the national flag-off exercise of phase II vaccination programme earlier scheduled for Tuesday this week due to unforeseen circumstances.

“A new date will be communicated, please.”

No fewer than 53 persons died from COVID-19 complications in Nigeria within two weeks.

This was contained in the weekly epidemiological report published by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on its website on Sunday.

According to the report, 17 deaths were recorded between July 26 and July 31, 2021 while no fewer than 36 people lost their lives between August 1 and August 7, 2021, making a total of 53 deaths within two weeks.

Between August 1 and August 7, no fewer than 3,707 cases were reported with the country recording the highest daily infection of 747 cases on August 4, 2021, the highest daily infection in three months.

Between July 26 and July 31, the report also revealed that 2,584 cases were recorded, signifying a 43.5 per cent increase in the number of infections within one week.

The centre listed Benue State as one of the states which had not sent reports for 19 weeks.

Further analysis of the report also revealed that 218 patients were discharged over within one week.

155 inbound passengers also tested positive out of the 3,702 who presented themselves for testing in Lagos and Abuja while 207 out of 5,529 outbound passengers tested positive.

Infection rate worrisome – NCDC

In the report, the Director General of the NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, described the increase in the number of infections as worrisome.

He said, “While we had recorded cases in two digits in June and previous months, it is however becoming worrisome that we are beginning to witness hundreds of cases from July.

“To arrest the trend, the NCDC has continued to intensify efforts with emphasis on public awareness to ensure Nigerians, including healthcare workers, take necessary preventive steps to protect themselves. Rapid Response Teams have also been deployed to support states’ response.

“With the third wave in the early phase, all hands must be on the deck to nip it in the bud.”

Stakeholders meet on vaccine doses distribution to states today

The Federal Government has said a meeting of critical stakeholders will hold on Monday (today) to finalise plans on sharing and distribution of the Moderna vaccine doses to states.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Segun Adetola, disclosed this in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday.

Recall that Nigeria had last week taken delivery of over four million doses of Moderna vaccine while still awaiting doses of J and J vaccine which are due for delivery in August and September 2021.

According to Adetola, the stakeholders involved in vaccine distribution will meet on Monday to finalise decisions on vaccine delivery to states.

“Tomorrow (Monday) morning by 10am, we will be having a situation room meeting and we will discuss the issue of vaccine delivery.

“The National Primary Health Care Development Agency will also be there to share more details,” he said.

The Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, on Saturday, announced that the Federal Government will begin the administration of the Moderna vaccine doses on Tuesday.

The Director of Press, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, in a statement added that “the flag off is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, August 10 2021 at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi Abuja.”

Bauchi expects 129,000 moderna doses, Kwara 102,930, Ekiti 95,000

Meanwhile, the Kwara State Government says it is expecting 102,930 doses of US Moderna vaccine doses from the Federal Government.

The Executive Secretary of Primary Health Care in the state, Dr Nusirat Elelu disclosed this on Sunday.

“Kwara is expecting 102,930 doses of US vaccine. We don’t have clarity of when the vaccines will get here,” she said.

In the same vein, the Coordinator, Ekiti State COVID-19 Response Task Force, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko, said on Sunday that the state was expecting between 95,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

Aluko said, “Ekiti State will get 95,000 doses of Moderna vaccines this week. We are expecting the vaccines any during the week.

Similarly, the Bauchi State government says it is expecting 129,000 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the Federal Government.

The Executive Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Rilwan Mohammed, on Sunday said, “The Federal Government has allocated 129,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine and we are getting it tomorrow (Monday). Already, we have started training of personnel across the state.”

Post Views: 1,145

news

Gbajabiamila to Head Five Governors, Others at Nigeria–Canada Conference

Published

1 day ago

August 7, 2026

NewsThumb Magz

President Bola Tinubu has approved a Federal Government delegation led by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to represent Nigeria at the maiden Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference in Toronto, Canada.

The delegation includes Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang and Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal.

The conference, themed “Invest Nigeria, Thrive Abroad,” is scheduled to hold from August 12 to 15 in Toronto.

The development was announced in a statement issued by Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, on X on Friday.

According to the statement, members of the delegation also include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; and Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

Representatives of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Revenue Service, Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission, Nigeria Export Promotion Council and the National Information Technology Development Agency are also expected to participate.

The statement said Canadian officials expected at the conference include President of the Treasury Board of Canada, Shafqat Ali; Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, Graham McGregor; Ontario lawmaker Deepak Anand; Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown; Councillor Rod Power; and Ontario Minister of Women and Economic Opportunities, Charmaine Williams.

How to become next Miss Nigeria
Quoting the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the statement said, “The calibre of officials attending the conference demonstrates President Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation between Nigeria and Canada through trade, investment and diaspora engagement.”

It further quoted Dabiri-Erewa as saying the event “is more than a conference” and is designed as “an outcome-driven investment platform” that will connect international investors with “investment-ready” opportunities across key sectors of Nigeria’s economy while strengthening bilateral economic relations between the two countries.

According to the statement, the conference is being organised by NiDCOM in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, the Canadian High Commission in Abuja and other stakeholders.

It said discussions will focus on agriculture, technology, manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, healthcare and the digital economy.

Newsthumb reports that the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference is the first investment-focused forum organised by the Federal Government through NiDCOM to promote economic partnerships between Nigeria and its diaspora community.

According to the World Bank, Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest recipients of diaspora remittances, with annual inflows amounting to billions of dollars.

Post Views: 33

news

Breaking : Osun Election: Tinubu Intervenes, Orders EFCC to Unfreeze Osun Government Accounts

Published

2 days ago

August 6, 2026

NewsThumb Magz

…says action could undermine public confidence in electoral process

…insists anti-graft agencies must remain independent but avoid actions suggesting political interference

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately take steps to vacate a court order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government, saying the timing of the action, just days before the state’s governorship election, could create the impression of federal interference in the electoral process.

The President said although he respects the constitutional independence of the anti-graft agency and had no prior knowledge of its action, he was compelled to intervene in the overriding public interest to preserve public confidence in the credibility and fairness of Nigeria’s democratic process. NigerianBusiness Coverage

The EFCC had on Wednesday froze the accounts of the Osun State Government, placing a Post No Debit (PND), on its First Bank account, alleging fraudulent handling of N11 billion ecology funds, intervention funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

However, in a personally signed statement issued from the State House, Abuja, President Tinubu disclosed that the EFCC had obtained the court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government.

He said he was “deeply embarrassed” by the timing of the development, explaining that actions taken by federal institutions are often attributed to the President, regardless of whether he authorised them.

“It has come to my notice that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government. I must state that I feel deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order, but by the timing of the agency’s action.

“This is so because every action taken by an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action”, the President said.

Tinubu reiterated his long-standing policy of allowing anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to carry out their statutory responsibilities without political interference, stressing that he had deliberately refrained from directing the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative bodies since assuming office.

He said, “since assuming office, I have consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference.

“I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law”, he said.

The President maintained that institutions established by law should be allowed to exercise their powers independently and without requiring presidential approval for routine operational decisions.

However, he said the circumstances surrounding the EFCC’s action required presidential intervention because of the proximity of the Osun governorship election.

“As President, I am committed to allowing institutions of State to function and take any action they consider necessary in the interest of proper governance without the need for any prior approval. Indeed, that is why institutions are set up by law with clearly defined powers.

“While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC in approaching the court to obtain the said order freezing the Osun State Government account, I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene”, he said.

The President warned that no action by any federal agency should create the perception that the Federal Government was attempting to influence the outcome of the forthcoming governorship poll.

“Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or indeed any other agency of the federal government is being used to interfere with the election”, he stated.

Tinubu said preserving public confidence in the integrity of the electoral process was paramount, adding that he was duty-bound to act in the national interest.

“Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process”, he said.

The President consequently directed the anti-graft agency to immediately reverse its legal action against the Osun State Government.

“Accordingly, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard”, Tinubu declared.

Post Views: 36

news

Breaking : 176 Woro Abductees, 132 Others Freed in Major Multi-State Rescue Operation

Published

3 days ago

August 5, 2026

NewsThumb Magz

A total of 308 kidnapped victims, including 176 residents of Woro community in Kwara State and 132 others abducted in Niger and Kebbi states, have been rescued in a coordinated multi-state security operation.

The successful operation, carried out by security agencies, marks a significant breakthrough in ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping and restore peace across the affected communities. Authorities said the rescued victims have been reunited with their families, while efforts are underway to apprehend the perpetrators and dismantle the criminal networks responsible for the abductions.

The rescue underscores the commitment of security agencies to strengthening intelligence-driven operations and ensuring the safety of lives and property across the country. Further details on the operation and ongoing investigations are expected from the relevant authorities.

Post Views: 52