ONE WORD

With coronavirus infections spreading fast and COVID-19 deaths climbing yet again, most Americans say the country is not ready to send children back to school this fall — and they emphatically reject every aspect of President Trump’s new effort to force public schools to fully reopen, according to  the latest Yahoo News/YouGov poll .   The survey, which was conducted between July 11 and 14, found a remarkable consensus on the issue of school reopenings that transcended party lines, geographic boundaries and demographic divisions. A full 63 percent of Americans say Trump should not be pressuring schools to reopen. Only 25 percent say he should continue his push. At the same time, a mere 30 percent of Americans believe the Trump administration is doing everything it can to stop the coronavirus.  Instead, more than three-quarters (77 percent) insist that America’s priority should be to limit the spread of the virus, even if it means students can’t physically return to schools; just 23 per

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has expressed shock and sadness at the tragic news of the death of Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, Tolulope Arotile. Lawan said despite her brief service, the deceased flying officer, 24, left indelible footprints as a dedicated officer and Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot. The Senate President noted the attestation of the Nigeria Airforce that Arotile flew several combat missions and made remarkable contributions to the military efforts against banditry and other criminal activities, particularly in the North Central states. Lawan said Arotile was a role model for young women and the Nigerian youths in general with her focus and dedication to service and calling. Lawan condoled with the family of the late Flying Officer, the Chief of the Air Staff, her officer colleagues, other airmen, and airwomen. The Senate President also commiserated with the government and people of Kogi State over the loss and prayed for her sou

Even before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called on Tuesday for all Americans to wear masks as a  “civic duty, ” a number of governors were taking matters into their own hands, imposing requirements for face coverings in indoor (and some outdoor) public spaces. Concern over rising cases and deaths recently prompted the governors of Alabama, Kentucky and Louisiana to join more than a dozen other states that have some form of a statewide mask mandate. “Cases in Louisiana continue to increase, including setting a record-high number of new cases reported in one day, today and yesterday,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a July 11  statement . “More than two thousand new COVID infections reported each of these days and increased hospitalizations are signs that we continue to go in the wrong direction in our work to control COVID-19 in our state.” President Trump wears a mask as he visits Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Saturday. (Alex Edelman/AFP) As masks beco

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