ONE WORD

FROM Makurdi to Akure, Abakaliki, Asaba, Umuahia, and even Abuja, Covid-19 appears to be hitting hard at government officials, their spouses and their children. Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State is the latest of such high profile officials to test positive for the virus. His status was revealed yesterday and he has since proceeded on self-isolation. But the situation is morescary at the Government House, Makurdi, where Governor Daniel Ortom’s wife, her son, the Secretary to the State Government, the governor’s Chief of Staff, the state’s Head of Service and about 30 other officials and aides are infected. Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, his wife and their daughter remain in self-isolation as is Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State. Mr. Noel Donjur, the Chief of Staff to the Plateau State Governor, is also in an isolation centre after testing positive. However, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, who had been in self- isolation after testing positive, has now recovered a

• Cable TV shouldn ’t raise tariff after COVID- 19 tax rebate — Minister The Federal Government has revealed plans to end the monopoly enjoyed by cable television service providers , especially Digital Satellite Television , owned by MultiChoice, a South Africa- based company . The plan is said to include ending exclusive rights to sporting events. Only DStv currently broadcasts major football competitions in Nigeria, especially the English Premier League . The government said it had amended Nigeria’ s broadcasting code to prevent DStv and others from monopolising their channels and contents. The House has been probing DStv for allegedly cheating its Nigerian subscribers by restricting them to prepaid plans and increasing its subscription rates on June 1, 2020, despite the economic impact of COVID- 19 pandemic lockdown on the people . At the continuation of the investigative hearings organised by an ad hoc committee of the House on the matter in Abuja on Tuesday , Minister of Informati

A young makeup artist slumped and died yesterday, July 4, while dancing at her birthday party. Deborah Tushima had been counting down to her birthday on her Facebook account. Her birthday came on Saturday, July 4 and she shared new photos of herself on the platform. She captioned the photos: "So many things to be grateful for, the greatest is the gift of LIFE! Happy birthday to me, pls say a prayer for me." Unfortunately, she slumped hours later while partying with friends and died. Friends who had wished her a happy birthday only hours earlier are now mourning her via their respective pages.

The Vice-chairman of Benue State Action Committee on COVID-19 and also deputy Vice-Chancellor of Benue State University, Makurdi Professor Godwin Achinge has died of coronavirus complications. Professor Achinge, according to a source died on Sunday afternoon at an undisclosed hospital in Jos, the capital city of Plateau State where he was taken to for treatment. A member of the State Action Committee on COVID-19 who did not want to be mentioned confirmed his death to our correspondent. “Yes, we lost Professor Achingi, the deputy chairman of the state action committee on COVID-19 this afternoon,” the member said. But the State Commissioner for Information and member of the State Action Committee on COVID-19, Mrs Ngunan Addingi, said she was yet to confirm the report from the chairman of the State Action Committee on COVID-19 and deputy governor of the State, Benson Abounu. Recall that the State Governor, Samuel Ortom had on Saturday told newsmen that the professor who was the vice-chair