ONE WORD

A combination of photos showing Nigerians leaving Malaysia provided by the Nigerians In Diaspora Commission on July 11, 2020.   An Air Peace aircraft is in the process of evacuating stranded Nigerians in Malaysia and Thailand, the Nigerians In Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has said. The Commission revealed this in a tweet on Saturday. “Chartered @airpeace flight APK-7813 conveying Stranded Nigerians from Malaysia and Thailand departing Kaula Lumpur to Abuja and Lagos today with Evacuees from Malaysia and Thailand onboard,” the tweet said.   This is the first evacuation from both countries since the coronavirus pandemic instigated lockdowns across the world, according to NIDCOM. The flight is expected to depart at 7am and first arrive at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, before proceeding to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. According to NIDCOM, all evacuees have tested negative to COVID-19 and will proceed on a 14-day self-isolation on arrival. Thousands

President Buhari has reportedly suspended the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, Ibrahim Magu. According to reports, Magu was suspended to allow him face the probe into the allegations of corruption leveled against him by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. In June, Malami wrote a letter to President Buhari asking for Magu's sack. He accused Magu of corruption, diversion of recovered funds, insubordination among other offenses. On Monday, Magu was invited before a panel probing the allegations. The panel is led by Ayo Salami, retired president of the appeal court. Some of the 22 allegations Magu is being investigated for include: Alleged discrepancies in the reconciliation records of the EFCC and the Federal Ministry of Finance on recovered funds Declaration of N539billion as recovered funds instead of N504b earlier claimed Insubordination to the office of the AGF by not seeking his approval on some dec

The federal government has threatened to impose a fresh lockdown in another two weeks. According to Daily Post, This follows the increasing rate of COVID-19 cases in the country, especially among people in authority. Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, on Monday lamented that it was directly affecting governance and security in the country. Mustapha, speaking at the task force press briefing in Abuja, admitted the possibility of ordering a fresh total lockdown to curtail further spread of the virus. He, however, said events of coming weeks would determine the next line of action. “We will not speculate on what will happen in future, but we will protect the lives of Nigerians. “To achieve that, if it means to lock down again, we will not shy away from that responsibility. “We will recommend to the President who will look at the report and take a decision on our recommendation. What happens in the next two three weeks will determine what we will do,” Musta

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