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”Some of us, Na CRK and Fine Art we dey pass well for school. lol. My childhood was such a cruise”

Simi saw his tweet and dropped a hilarious response

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Self-styled Nigerian journalist, Kemi Olunloyo, has stirred the hornet’s nest again by suggesting that Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is dead.

Writing on her Twitter account on Tuesday evening, Olunloyo said she would also unveil secrets about the possibility of Kanu being replaced by a body double as Nnamdi of Sudan.

This comes as a reaction to rumours swirling on social media suggesting Nnamdi Kanu is dead.

Ironically, the IPOB leader has been pushing the idea that Muhammadu Buhari, President of Nigeria is dead and has been replaced by another person he claimed to be Jubril of Sudan.

However, Olunloyo has set the internet on fire with her latest theory that Nnamdi Kanu is dead and replaced by a body double.

The tweet comes barely days after Olunloyo trended on Twitter following the death of Abba Kyari, the late Chief of Staff to President Buhari.

Olunloyo had in March claimed that a high-ranking member of Buhari’s inner-cycle had died from an illness and the presidency was trying to put a lid on it.

The controversial journalist however declined to mention a name, saying she will rather wait for the presidency to come clean with Nigerians.

Kyari was hospitalized with COVID-19 at the time and many on social media assumed the tweet referred to him.

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Coronavirus: Double warning over antibody tests

Hopes that coronavirus antibody tests could help the UK end its lockdown have been dealt a blow - after the World Health Organization questioned whether they offer any guarantee of immunity.

The UK has placed antibody tests - which check if someone has had Covid-19 - at the centre of an eventual "back-to-work" plan to restart normal life.

But experts said they may not prove if someone is protected from reinfection.

The UK's testing co-ordinator has also warned people not to buy private tests.

The government has already paid for three-and-a-half million antibody tests, but has not yet found one that is reliable enough to use - and stresses that it will not approve the use of any test until it can be sure its findings can be fully depended on.

Professor John Newton said the public should not purchase unapproved antibody tests until a working test is approved.

"We are breaking new ground with this work every day and I am confident this major research effort will make a breakthrough," he said of efforts to develop a valid serology test, which measures levels of antibodies in blood plasma.

"Until then, please don't buy or take any unproven tests. They may not be reliable for your intended use; they may give a false reading and put you, your family or others at risk."

He added: "As soon as we have found a test that works for this purpose, we will be in a position to roll them out across the country as a back-to-work test."

Explained: Testing and why it matters
Should we all be wearing face masks now?
Are NHS staff getting the protective gear they need?

Speaking in Geneva, the World Health Organization's (WHO) Dr Maria van Kerkhove cast doubt on the benefit of rapid serology tests due to a lack of evidence around coronavirus immunity.

She said: "There are a lot of countries that are suggesting using rapid diagnostic serological tests to be able to capture what they think will be a measure of immunity.

"Right now, we have no evidence that the use of a serological test can show that an individual has immunity or is protected from reinfection."

She added: "These antibody tests will be able to measure that level of seroprevalence - that level of antibodies but that does not mean that somebody with antibodies means that they are immune."

Dr van Kerkhove said it was "a good thing" that so many tests are being developed, but she added: "We need to ensure that they are validated so that we know what they say they attempt to measure they are actually measuring."

The first problem with antibody tests is there aren't any that work at scale, but even if they did there are potential issues.

There are no guarantees that if you have antibodies against the coronavirus that you are completely immune.

And even if your antibodies do protect you from becoming sick, then you may be able to harbour the virus in your body and pass it to others.

There will be many challenges before immunity passports - when if you pass the antibody test you can go back to life as normal - will be practical.

This is the problem with a virus that has only been around for a couple of months - there is still too much we do not understand.

However, the main appeal of antibody testing is to find out how many people have really been infected with the virus.

Her colleague Dr Michael Ryan said antibody testing also raised ethical questions.

"You might have someone who believes they are seropositive [have been infected] and protected in a situation where they may be exposed and in fact they are susceptible to the disease," he said.

Meanwhile, unions representing doctors and nurses have raised concerns about revised coronavirus guidance that allows some personal protective equipment to be reused at hospitals in England.

It comes following warnings that some hospitals could run out of the gowns used in intensive care units this weekend.

The UK announced 847 new coronavirus-related deaths in hospitals in its latest figures on Friday, taking the total to 14,576.

On March 22, 2020, it was exactly 40 years after Nigeria recorded her first African Cup of Nations win on home soil. Nigeria defeated Algeria 3-0 at the main bowl of the National Stadium Surulere, Lagos, in the final of the continental football showpiece to lift the trophy for the very first time.

One of the players who made it happen for Nigeria, Felix Owolabi, said it was passion and determination that drove the team to attain glory in the competition. Owolabi, popularly called Owoblow, stressed that the team did not receive money as bonuses but was winning every match; with the motivation being the desire to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians.

He said: “The thought of money was very far from our minds. We did not even think of it because we were under severe pressure. From the beginning of the competition till the very end, it was very tough for us.

“We simply maintained our focus, we played for one another and we had to battle the domestic problem of being the home team. Our friends and relatives were coming to see us at the hotel and there were distractions along the line and the tension before each of the games was massive.

“All we got for the victory were given to us after the competition. Nothing for all the wins recorded during the tournament.”

Owolabi stated that it was more difficult for the players because the fans did not believe the team could do any outstanding thing.

The former international stated that from the very first match to the semis, the fans were not fully in support of the Eagles because they wanted big wins in all the games.

“In the opening match against Tanzania, it was tough. They had a great team and we were leading 2-1, our fans were not convinced and Tanzania were close to equalising but luckily we got the third goal to win 3-1. In the second match we drew 0-0 with Cote d’Ivoire and it was a case of when will the Eagles crash out.

“We came up against one of the title favourites, Egypt and won 1-0 but our fans were not happy and felt we could not stop the rampaging Morocco side that had beaten all other teams easily in the other group.

“The game against Morocco was the semis and we did very well especially in the defence to avoid goals. We won 1-0 to pick the ticket to the final and I scored the only goal in the encounter. Our coach, Otto Gloria, was a great man. He was a father to us all and he gave us different tactics almost for every match. It was not easy to beat the top three North African sides in the competition,” he added.

In the final match against Algeria, Owolabi said the former President, Shehu Shagari, motivated the team in a special way and his impact on the team the on final day of the Nations Cup worked like magic.

Owolabi said: “We had a blend of young and old players in the team but as one of the young ones I observed some crucial points on the final day. As we gathered for our breakfast, it was a big shock that the President of the country then, Shehu Shagari, joined us and had breakfast with us. He gave us a short message and charged us to go and win for Nigeria. It was like a dream and we were fired up for victory.

“Also on match day, on our way to the stadium, market women lined up at both sides of the road along Badagry Expressway to cheer us. We were in the FESTAC ’77 bus and these women were praying for us to go and win the trophy. As if these were not enough, we entered the stadium and the fans that had been so skeptical about our performances from the start, were all out displaying absolute confidence in the team.

“We could have beaten the best team in the world on that day. It was amazing that we recorded our best scoreline that final day.”

The former International regretted that some members of the 22-man team were dead and could not celebrate the 40 years of the significant win.

Goalkeeper Best Ogedegbe, Okey Isima, Muda Lawal, Alloysius Atuegbu, Martins Eyo, and Tunde Bamidele are all dead.

“It is sad that they are not alive today. I feel it as a person because we all worked so hard for the trophy but God knows best,” he added.

Interestingly, the former Shooting Stars player argued that the country had been unable to achieve much in football that corresponds with the potential in Nigeria.

“With just three Nations Cup triumphs, that’s not good enough; we could have done better because of the players we are blessed with. I appreciate that people remember us after 40 years of winning the trophy but this is because there are not many wins after our own. We recorded two more Nations Cup triumphs and Atlanta Olympics gold. We should have done better overall.”

Looking back, Owolabi also said the players at the time were close friends on and off the pitch.

“We were united and we work for one another on and off the pitch. We gave ourselves necessary tips and we often talked to ourselves on how best to approach a particular game especially anytime we had matches against North Africans. We were one big family such that the head coach and his crew related with us as friends,” he noted.

The football legend also took time to shower praises on the then football federation led by Sunday Dankaro. Owoblow noted that the federation members had ambition to take football higher in the country.

“They used their personal resources to make us comfortable. They were men of integrity with their own businesses and they took us as their children.

“If there was any problem, they came together to solve it not the ministry or the Federal Government. I am taking about people like late Lekan Salami, Isaac Akioye, Chief Sylvanus Akinwunmi, Dr. Awoture Eleyae, Yinka Rhodes, Madam Rangers and a host of others.

“These people were elders with interest of the game at heart. They were the engine room of the team working behind-the-scene for us to excel.

“I also remember that the media was behind us at the time. They gave us all sorts of names to inspire us anytime we were on the field. The grass cutters, gatemen, those working behind-the-scene were also great and contributed to our success.”

Owolabi commended current sports minister, Sunday Dare, who had plans to host the 1980 team but for the current COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the nation.

“I feel honoured just like many of the members of the team,” he added.

TOBI AWORINDE writes on the paucity of words that has characterised the Presidency of Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), especially in addressing issues of public concern

For over a month, Nigerians watched with bated breath as the world’s superpowers battled thousands of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases. But it was not until February 27 that the fears of many Nigerians were realised. That was when the country recorded its index case.

There have since been about 51 COVID-19 cases and one death, with the Federal Capital Territory and seven states, including Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Oyo, Edo, Bauchi and Osun affected.

While many world leaders have periodically mounted the proverbial soapbox to educate, update and reassure their citizens and bring hope to a tense national atmosphere, Nigeria’s President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has kept mum – save for a 23-second video retweeted on Twitter and later deleted by his Personal Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmad.

Conversely, barely a year ago, the President defied insinuations by some people when he embarked on months of rigorous daily campaigns across the country, delivering a series of sweet-talking speeches to lure the electorate for the purpose of his much-coveted and soon actualised re-election.

The sudden loquacity stunned many Nigerians, given the Commander-in-Chief’s silence amid scores of Boko Haram attacks, herdsmen/farmers clashes, banditry incidents, kidnappings and his numerous medical vacations.

Meanwhile, in a widely lauded move, the Senate recently told Buhari that the citizens deserved to hear from him, adding that, if the President addressed Nigerians, citizens and government agencies would be more serious in adhering to the preventive measures.

But the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, attacked the Senate, which is dominated by people from the President’s party – the All Progressives Congress. Shehu said such calls by members of the Senate were “cheap and sensational.”

To many, Buhari’s silence in the midst of the pandemic is best described as deafening, though unsurprising.

Prof Onyebuchi Ezeani of the Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, told Saturday PUNCH that the President’s failure to address the nation was not out of character.

Ezeani stated that since Buhari’s return from his months-long 2017 medical trip in the United Kingdom, his impression of the President was that he was not in good physical shape, which he said might have affected his body language and some of his actions.

He said, “To be frank, I am not that surprised because, for quite some time now, even before this coronavirus situation, I have noticed that he doesn’t appear so much in the public and that has made people to question if there is something wrong. So, to me, it doesn’t come as a surprise.

“You will recall the case of the National Security Adviser (Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd.) accusing the Chief of Staff (Abba Kyari) of usurping his powers and his inability to have access to the President, and so on. Access to him has been very restrictive and, personally, I would look into his health conditions.

“I believe the Buhari I knew when he was healthy was more active. My feeling is that his health condition is affecting his ability to meet the expectations of the people.”

The 2019 presidential candidate of the Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party, Tope Fasua, agreed that Buhari’s silence was problematic yet predictable, citing the example of the Lagos gas explosion that claimed 20 lives on March 15.

Fasua said, “It’s not surprising. The truth is that leadership is now 90 per cent communication. So, 95 per cent of the work of a leader these days is communication. He has to communicate in any manner; written, spoken and even body language.

“Your body language should entail being able to move around a lot and show up in so many places. For example, some have criticised the President for not going to Abule Ado, but instead waited in Aso Rock to view the pictures, and so on.”

On Tuesday, the coronavirus outbreak in Nigeria seemed to escalate overnight with confirmation that the President’s Chief of Staff, Kyari, and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, had tested positive.

Though Buhari tested negative, there is a school of thought that believes there was a renewed sense of urgency to the President’s need to address the nation.

Dr Idowu Johnson of the Department of Political Science, University of Ibadan, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, stated that Buhari’s withdrawal at a critical time showed that he was not on top of state affairs.

Johnson argued that the alleged lack of accountability of the President amid the outbreak showed that Nigeria does not have leaders but rulers.

He stated that world leaders speaking to their citizens within the context of the pandemic had demonstrated normal behaviour by heads of government.

The political scientist said, “When they see their leaders, rather than fear or panic, they have a morale boost and confidence that their leaders are supporting them. World leaders addressing their citizens on this pandemic give them hope and assurance that the virus will be eradicated soon.

“Coming back to Nigeria, is Buhari in charge of Nigerian affairs? If he is in charge of it, does he even know or have the information about the pandemic? The summary of this is that the action of the President is an indication that some people are in charge of Nigeria, not Buhari.

“We don’t have leaders per se; we have rulers and there is a difference between rulers and leaders. A leader will know the steps to take and how to address the nation. For not addressing the nation, it shows the man is not in charge of governance, except we are deceiving ourselves.”

Also, former Head of Department, Political Science, University of Lagos, Prof Solomon Akinboye, decried Buhari’s reticence, saying he needed to be more forthright in dealing with Nigerians on matters of public concern.

Akinboye stated, “I believe he has to speak more. People have been wondering why he has not spoken. I think he should speak about it, just to encourage people like some other presidents are doing. (President Donald) Trump has been doing that; enlightening United States citizens and residents about the state of things as far as COVID-19 is concerned.

“Even in Africa, some presidents have been doing that, like (Yoweri) Museveni of Uganda and Uhuru Kenyatta in Kenya. It is to encourage their people. Even in Lagos State, you can see that the governor (Babajide Sanwo-Olu) has been doing that; briefing Lagos State people about the situation of things.”

The political scientist further explained further that even though Buhari had people, including ministers, working for him, addressing the nation was his duty.

“This pandemic is ravaging the entire global system and because it has a serious impact on our land, I believe the President has the responsibility to show up and, at least comment on it, encourage the people and tell them what the government has been doing,” Akinboye added.

Penultimate Friday, three weeks after the first case, the President, via his official Twitter handle, released a terse statement, saying, “Protecting Nigerians from the coronavirus is a key priority for us as a government. We have the Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control working round the clock with several other agencies as well as state governments to ensure this.

“I have absolute confidence in the relevant ministers in the cabinet, the Presidential Task Force on coronavirus which I recently established and the officials of the NCDC who are all providing constant updates and professional counsel.”

The tweets were, however, met with cynicism and criticism.

Critics stated that a television broadcast would send a better message than tweets directed at the President’s mere two million followers in a country of more than 200 million people.

Responding to one of the President’s tweets, a former Chairman, National Human Rights Commission, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, said, “Faceless ghosts hide behind handhelds and credit someone else with words. They forget that, actually, communication has DNA. It’s easy to know this is not from @MBuhari. It’s not his syntax or sentence DNA. It’s not difficult to figure out who wrote this, is it?”

The Head of Department, Political Scientist, UNN, Prof. Jonah Onuoha, did not agree, however. He said, “It must not be the President alone (speaking). His officers are speaking enough. The health minister has been addressing the press and informing the citizens. The international airports have been closed down. The victims are being treated. I think his officers are really on top of it.

“He has taken appropriate action and he’s on top of it. Reassuring the country is important, but taking urgent action is more important. I think he should provide more resources to encourage medical doctors and nurses to quell the scourge. I understand they are also trying to recall retired nurses and doctors to handle the menace. So far, so good.”

But Fasua argued that times of tragedy were opportunities for true leaders to show their humanity.

The former presidential candidate said, “President Franklin Roosevelt led Americans through World War II by giving what he called the fireside chats. He was in a wheelchair and all they had was the radio. But he inspired them through the World War by daily communication.

“People are saying this coronavirus is more of a world war. Perhaps it’s a biological war, and so you need all the leadership you can get. Even the most criticised leaders in the world, like Donald Trump, are engaging on a daily basis. I think we need that kind of thing.

“It’s an opportunity for a leader to draw himself closer to the people. Unfortunately, that opportunity is not being utilised. We hope the virus doesn’t spiral out of control (in Nigeria). If it does, then leaders always get the blame.”

Coming weeks will tell if the President will have a change of mind and engage the citizens who are in dire need of reassuring words from him at this critical moment of global emergency or he will move on in his habitual ‘I don’t care way.’

The Lagos State government has acquired 10 new vehicles in the fight against the coronavirus.

The government said the buses would be used to heighten its grassroots awareness campaign about the global pandemic.

This was made known by the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, via her official twitter handle @JokeSanwoolu.

Unveiling the vehicles comprising five JAC pickup vehicles and five Hyundai buses with the inscription of ‘COVID-19 Response Team,’ as well as emergency numbers on them, her tweet reads: “In recognition of the strategic importance of enlightenment in the fight against Coronavirus, @followlasg has taken delivery of new vehicles to play up advocacy on #Covid19.”

Continuing, she had tweeted, “With these vehicles, enlightenment across the state will be intensified and people will become more knowledgeable and better equipped with information that will help them manage through this period.”

The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, announced this after a meeting between the executive arm of government and the leadership of the National Assembly in Abuja.

According to a report by The PUNCH, the Federal Government on Wednesday proposed the reduction of oil benchmark, upon which the 2020 budget was predicated, from $57 to $30 per barrel.

The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, announced this after a meeting between the executive arm of government and the leadership of the National Assembly in Abuja.

The meeting was meant to review the 2020 budget and Medium Term Expenditure Framework, particularly against the background of the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the global economy.

The meeting, which lasted almost four hours, according to the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, was summoned to “discuss the proposed review of the 2020 budget and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework.”

The Finance Minister proposed a review of the 2020 budget using a $30 per barrel price benchmark as against $57 initially passed in December by the National Assembly.

She said it was part of the measures to prepare for the worst-case scenario, as well as insulate the Nigerian economy against any form of unexpected crisis.

She also told the leadership of the National Assembly that budgeted revenues for the Nigeria Customs Service have been reduced from N1.5 trn to N943bn “due to anticipated reduction in trade volumes”.

She also said, “The privatisation proceeds will be cut by 50 per cent, based on the adverse economic outlook on sales of the Independent Power Projects and other assets.”

Similarly, Ahmed disclosed that the Federal Government has undertaken cuts to Revenue-related expenditures for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation for several projects included in the 2020 Appropriation Act passed by the National Assembly in December 2019.

She said, “The Federal Government is working on Fiscal Stimulus Measures to provide fiscal relief for taxpayers and key economic sectors.

“We will incentivise employers to retain and recruit staff during the economic downturn.

“We will stimulate investment in critical infrastructure; review non-essential tax waivers to optimise revenues, and compliment monetary and trade interventions to respond to the crisis.”

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Wednesday, called for a broad, total and national lockdown of the country in the wake of the continue spread of COVID-19; in a bid to check the further spread of the disease.

Besides, the congress blamed top government officials with their negative attitude of bigmanism, elitist syndrome for the rising number of Covid-19 infection in Nigeria.

In a statement issued Wednesday evening in Abuja and signed by the NLC President, Com Ayuba Wabba, the congress advised the Federal Government to consider a national lockdown for a reasonable period of time.

The NLC specifically called for a broad lockdown of the country with exception to the provision of essential goods and services.

The congress said: “We call for a broad lockdown of the country with exception to the provision of essential goods and services. Such large-scale lockdown should be accompanied with appropriate support systems that allow workers who provide essential services to function and in a manner that provides protection and sustenance to them and their families.

“We reiterate our call for the government to consider a national lockdown for a reasonable period of time if the current level of infection escalates.

“In line with Section 45 of Nigeria Constitution which empowers the government to limit citizens’ rights in the favour of public safety, we encourage citizens to comply fully with government directives on public orders on COVID-19.”

Com Wabba, however, explained further: “On a population-wide level, lockdowns must be exercised in a way that guarantees citizens especially the vulnerable groups including those without income access to essential goods and services to meet basic needs. Anything short of this would be an invitation to mass hysteria, confusion and widespread unrests which would extremely complicate the current prevalence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We also wish to reiterate our earlier concerns on the directive by the government for exposed citizens to self-quarantine. The recent exponential rise in the cases of Covid-19 infection mostly by citizens who returned from countries with worse case prevalence proves that self-quarantine would be largely ineffective in our clime owing to a mix of factors including economic, social, religious and behavioural.”

He regretted that the national strategy against COVID-19 was not working, saying, “at the national level, there is a national strategy against COVID-19. We have, however, noticed that the strategy is not being diligently pursued.

“For instance, a key component of the national strategy is to conduct an on-the-spot check at ports of entry, order self-quarantine for 14 days, and do contact tracing cum follow up where necessary.

From the onset, we expressed our doubt about the efficacy of the self-quarantine strategy. Now, our fears have been proven right by the multiplicity of cases including some of our members who returned from trips abroad without appropriate information and actions at the port of entry, apart from instructions to self-quarantine.

“We have been informed that there are inadequate facilities for on-the-spot check in our ports of entry. Even tracking processes are not conforming to global standards to confront the situation.”

With the recent reports that the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari testing positive, the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, and the son of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, the NLC president frowned at the attitude of Nigerian top government officials and the rich men for their negative attitude which has put the country at risk.

He said: “To compound the situation, elitist syndrome or the Nigerian ‘bigmanism’ has severely impaired our response as some senior government officials refuse to subject themselves to routine test, self-quarantine and tracking. These negative attitudes contribute to the rising number of COVID-19 infection in Nigeria.

“We call on government to urgently invest in mass testing and treatment of established infections with Covid-19. Mass testing at this point is very critical as it will help identify infections long before further transmission.

“It is reassuring that over 80% of the reported cases made a very successful recovery. The government must invest urgently in ample provision of test reagents, drugs, ventilators and other clinical facilities, that can facilitate quick turn-around for those infected with COVID-19.”