₦airaland Forum

Two patients of COVID-19 have been confirmed dead in Bauchi state, bringing the total number of death to seven in the state. A statement from the state’s ministry of health situation room indicated that one new case was recorded and 37 patients of COVID-19 were discharged bringing the total number of discharged patients to 203.

“This explains the significant progress made by the EOC Case Management, Surveillance and Contact Tracing teams, Risk Communication and other State Task Force Pillars,” the statement read.

The statement further explained that as of Wednesday, only 24 patients are on hospital admission.

The only patient in severe condition has recovered and is getting better, it added

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Traders wailed uncontrollably early yesterday morning as they watched their goods went up in flames at the popular Ogbeogonogo market in the heart of Asaba, Delta State capital.

Ogbogonogo Modern Market is the major foodstuff and commodities market spreading about a kilometer along the ever-busy Nnebisi Road and running down the banks of the River Niger. The inferno, which gutted a section of the market, was said to have started at about 8 am, consuming the entire livestock section and a section of the tailoring materials and fabrics line.

Although there was no report of loss of life, chickens and goats were roasted while sewing machines, tailoring items and other goods worth millions of naira, were lost to the raging fire.

As at the time of filing this report, the cause of the inferno was not known, but market sources attributed it to an electrical fault which sparked and ignited the lightning that characterised the early morning rain. Our correspondent gathered that the state government through the Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency visited the scene of the fire.

The Peoples Democratic Party has alleged that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Executive Council has become cancerous, disorganized, chaotic, and incapable of driving an organized, result-oriented system and as such should be disbanded.

The party, in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said its position was predicated on the alleged degenerated hostilities among officials in the Buhari Presidency, including presidential aides, ministers and heads of agencies. The party said the alleged hostilities had further “exposed a scandalous breakdown” of the administration’s central command system. The PDP alleged the situation was a mark of failure by the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress to provide organized leadership for the nation.

“This is indeed shocking that the acrimony had sunk to a situation where the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, reportedly evicted the staff of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission from their allocated office, with guns, while the Chairman of the Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri, was on official assignment with the President.

“Currently, the newly appointed Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, are said to be at each other’s throat, with the SGF reportedly querying the decision of the President to sack the former Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Mr. Usman Mohammed. “The situation had degenerated into serious confusion in the federal executive.

“Nigerians can recall the bitter wrangling, wherein the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen Babagana Monguno, earlier this year, alerted that presidential responsibilities, including presiding over sensitive security matters, have been hijacked by late Chief of Staff, Malam Abba Kyari, thereby frustrating the fight against insurgency and acts of violence ravaging our country.

“Furthermore, the power sector is still under the stress of squabbling between the SGF and the Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, with the SGF, reinstating some officials who were sacked by the minister in December last year.

“It is sad that presidential hostilities had resulted in escalated cases of internal sabotage including the leakage of sensitive documents as exposed by the Head of Service, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan and recently witnessed in the embarrassing leakage of President Buhari’s draft COVID-19 speech,” the PDP said.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, when contacted for a reaction, directed our State House correspondent to contact the APC National Secretariat for a reaction.

However, APC National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the ruling party did not care about the PDP’s accusation. Issa-Onilu, in a telephone chat with one of our reporters, said: “PDP can go ahead to release whatever statement they want. We don’t care about it and we’re not responding.”

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State says only eight patients out of the 73 confirmed coronavirus cases recorded in the state were still at the isolation center. Matawalle made this known on Sunday at a gathering in Maradun where he went to celebrate the Sallah break. The governor congratulated health workers in the state for successfully tracking and treating those infected with the virus.

He expressed happiness that there was no new case in the state for now. “We lost five persons to the pandemic but others survived at the isolation and were later discharged to reunite with their families in good health. “This remarkable feat have been possible due to the effort of our medical team, our efforts in meeting all the required preventive standards and the cooperation of the good people of the state in adhering to preventive guidelines.

“I want to reiterate that COVID-19 is real, still on the rampage and dangerous to human lives, so we must all join hands to sustain the measures that are truncating fast spread of the disease in our communities, so that together we can defeat the pandemic.” He appealed to the people to always check their COVID-19 status at centres located across the 14 local government areas of the state.

“My administration has recently set up a zero contact sample collection and testing center of the virus at the Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital, Gusau, which is one of its type in the whole country in our effort to quickly know any carrier of the disease and save many lives in good time. “The center will offer services to even our neighbouring states so that we can contain the inter-state spread of this virus,” he added. (NAN)

Meanwhile, laboratory tests had confirmed 265 new cases of coronavirus infections on Saturday night, raising the country’s total to 7, 526. The 265 new cases were reported from 13 states- Lagos(133), Oyo(34), Edo(28), Ogun(23), FCT(22), Plateau(6), Kaduna (5), Borno(3), Niger(3), Kwara(2), Bauchi(2), Anambra(2) and Enugu(2).

Till date, 7, 526 cases have been confirmed, 2, 174 cases have been discharged and 221 deaths have been recorded in 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The leader of the Shi’a group that performed Eid-ul-fitr prayer today in Mabera, Zamfara state, Sidi Manniru has explained that the group confirmed sight of crescent of the month of Shawwal before performing prayers.

In an interview with Daily Trust correspondent, Sidi Manniru stated that based on their established procedures of sighting the crescent, some of their members reported from Yabo, Illela and Dukkuma town of Isa local government of the state. When asked whether the group had communicated the sight of the moon to the Sultan who chairs Islamic affairs in the country, the group leader said “Over 20 years, we have been following our own procedure of sighting the crescent which is not only for Ramadan but also for other Islamic months as advised by our leader Shiekh Ibrahim Zakzaky in order to avoid the crisis usually experienced at the end of Ramadan”.

Pictures of the Eid prayer performed by the members of the group surfaced over social media platforms generating reaction from various ends.

Manniru added that “We have members all over the country and we communicated this development to them” He said the prayer does not in any way signify revolt against other authorities becuase they also abide by government directives on closure of places of worship to stem the spread of COVID-19.

Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar on Thursday directed Muslims to look out for the new moon of Shawwal 1441 AH from Friday May 22. “This is to inform the Muslim Ummah that Friday, May 22, 2020, which is equivalent to 29th day of Ramadan 1441 AH, shall be the day to look out for the new moon of Shawwal 1441 AH,” he stated.

This was contained in a statement signed by Chairman, Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs, Sultanate Council, Sokoto, Prof. Sambo Junaidu. “Muslims are, therefore, requested to start looking out for the new moon and to report its sighting to the nearest district or village head for onward communication to the sultan,” the statement urged.

Meanwhile, Sultan has directed Sokoto District Heads, Village Heads and Imams of Juma’at Mosques to lead Eid-al-fitr prayers in their respective mosques while eid field should remained close.” In another statement signed by Prof. Junaidu the Sultan added:”There should be no gathering or traditional celebration during the period, as such people should remain at their respective resident to celebrate.”

He explained that the directive was to enable people maintain the social distancing as advised by professionals to curb the spread of coronavirus in the state. The Sultan urged all Muslim to continue to pray for the end of COVID-19 across the globe.