Hi all,
Sorry this is late. I (Adetomiwa) took a “quick nap” that turned into 12 hours of sleep. This never happens so be happy for me 💕
On to the news
The price of Naira to dollars is now N600/$1 🥲
Another health crisis?
Monkeypox
Last week, the United Kingdom authorities reached out to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) about their discovery of Monkeypox in a resident who recently returned from Nigeria.
After “Investigating” the case, the NCDC confirmed that the traveller did travel to Nigeria (Delta State).
In fact, contracting monkeypox in Nigeria isn’t unlikely because, in their statement, the NCDC confirmed that they discovered the extinct disease re-emerged in Nigeria in 2017.
The agency confirmed that Nigeria has continued to record sporadic cases since its emergence. Between September 2017 and April 30, 2022, a total of 558 cases in 22 states, of which eight deaths have been confirmed.
There were 8 confirmed cases in 2020, and 13 in 2021 in Delta (3), Bayelsa (2), Lagos (4), Edo (1), Rivers (3). No deaths were recorded on either.
During the first 6 months of 2021, Nigeria has recorded cases in Delta, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo, Federal Capital Territory, Niger, and Ogun.
In 2022, the NCDC has recorded 15 cases, which indicates a gradual increase in the number of cases per year
So far this month, cases of monkeypox have also been reported in Spain, Canada, Sweden and France.
Read more about monkeypox here
COVID-19, still
The World Health Organisation reports that COVID-19 deaths jumped by 21% worldwide in the last week.
Inflation inflating
Local airlines have increased the minimum rates for flights from N50,000 to N55,000 just 3 months after it was hiked to N50,000 from N35,000.
At the start of the month, the price of jet fuel for airplanes increased from N190 to N700.
As a result of the hike and the government instructing airlines not to increase the price of flights, operators planned to suspend operation from Monday, May 9.
To mitigate the possible effect, the House of Representatives quickly intervened by authorising that six million litres of jet fuel will be sold at N480 per litre.
This will go on for 3 months to support the Aviation industry.
Meanwhile, the government is mute on the crisis in the education sector. University teachers have been on strike for months and students have now joined to protest the indefinite halt on their education.
Everything has increased
While the Aviation sector has found some solace, the price of food and cooking gas has not as food inflation hits 18%.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that the price of staple foods such as bread, rice, beans and yam have increased from a 17.2% recorded in March to 18.37% in April.
Ekiti, Osun and Taraba recorded the highest rate of inflation in the month, while Anambra, Kogi and Bauchi have the lowest rates.
Cooking gas on the other hand is more expensive as the average price to refill a 5kg cylinder now is N3,800.
12.5kg cylinders have gone up to N8,164 in April from N7,617 in March 2022. This same size of gas cylinder costs N4,317 in April 2021 revealing an 89.10% increase.
Insecurity
Riot in Dei-Dei, Abuja
Violent clashes erupted on Wednesday in the building materials market (Timber Market), Abuja after a truck crushed a still unknown female passenger on a commercial motorcycle to death.
The incident escalated into a bloody clash between motorcyclists and Igbo traders.
A witness told Premium Times the violence broke out after the Igbo traders in the area set the motorcycle conveying the deceased on fire. “The Hausa/Fulani bike men in the area upon hearing the news reacted and started burning tires, destroying shops and attacking people in the area”.
There is no record of how many people died from the incident, but another resident who described the occurrence as traumatic confirmed that it was largely managed within 24 hours of the outbreak.
The police urged people to not spread rumours as this could reignite the violence.
Unarmed Nigerian students vs armed soldiers
On Tuesday, soldiers in Ondo State reportedly attacked students protesting the ongoing ASUU strike, which has paused their education indefinitely.
The students, who had blocked the busy Akure-Ilesa road for the second day, said without being provoked the soldiers came to the protest ground and forcefully dispersed the protesters, they even shot sporadically.
This is less than a week after some unidentified soldiers drove into a crowd of students protesting the strike in Ibadan.
The director of the Nigerian army public relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, told Premium Times that they are unaware of such incidents, but promised to look into it.
Explosion in Kano
An explosion in Kano this week left residents fearing for their lives and arguing with police reports
The police said it was an explosion from a gas station, but an eyewitness who works close to the place the incident occurred said it happened in a building close to the school (not a gas station).
Residents say they believe it was a suicide bomber.
9 people are reported to have died.
Update on victims kidnapped from the Abuja-Kaduna train attack
The terrorists who attacked a Kaduna-bound train in March have released one of the passengers they kidnapped on what they claim was “compassionate grounds”.
The woman, who remains unidentified, was allegedly released because she is pregnant.
In our “Kidnappers moonlighting as midwives” episode, we reported that one of the two pregnant abductees had given birth in captivity.
She is one of two people who were pregnant at the time of their kidnap. Recall that a few weeks ago, the kidnappers helped the other deliver her baby (they claimed they called a doctor on the phone for help, but for some reason, their NIN hasn’t helped with location or person identification).
This is the second person to be released. 9 days after the abduction, they released the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Alwan Hassan, after his people paid a random. The bandits, however, said he was released on compassionate grounds too.
It’s still not yet clear exactly how many people were kidnapped but pictures released by the terrorists showed at least 62 captives.
IPOB is destroying South-Eastern businesses
In this PREMIUM TIMES report, traders based in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria lament over the decline of their business, thanks to the sit-at-home order.
In Anambra State, the governor, Charles Soludo had declared Monday, April 4 as the official end of sit-at-home orders in the state. He even encouraged residents to pray for this date and offered amnesty to IPOB members. However, the following Monday all shops, businesses and offices were closed adhering to the sit-at-home order.
In Imo state, every resident was subjected to a forced 3 day sit-at-home order this week. All commercial activities were halted because IPOB’s leader Nnamdi Kanu appeared in the Federal High court in Abuja on Wednesday.
In other eastern states, there have also been reports of killings and destruction of goods over failure to adhere to this order. Even School children and government officials are participants in this forceful holiday.
IPOB says that the order will not be called off until the Federal government releases their leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Blac China once said…
Nigeria’s Accountant-General, Ahmed Idris has been arrested over alleged money laundering and diversion of public funds
Mr Idris has been embezzling funds through real estate investments in Kano and Abuja.
EFCC interrupted Mr Idris’ Monday evening routine and transported him to Abuja for interrogation.
The EFCC said they had to ambush him because, during their investigations, they cordially invited him for questioning, but he ignored them.
As a result of the charges against him, the Federal Government has now suspended Mr Idris without pay.
President presidenting
NHIS out, NIA in
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law the National Health Insurance Authority Bill 2022.
The president said the new bill cancels out the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Act which has been in existence since 2004.
Background on NHIS:
It was established to reduce citizens’ spending on health services, but despite billions pumped into the scheme since its inception, about 8 out of 10 Nigerians do not have health insurance.
The health insurance scheme is mostly described as fraudulent and an agency that lacks transparency and accountability. As of 2018, two past heads of the agency were accused of fraud.
Buhari says his team will “ensure the full implementation of the new Act, to provide coverage for all Nigerians”.
He also said the new authority will collaborate with state government health insurance schemes to accredit primary and secondary healthcare facilities and ensure all Nigerians enrol.
According to the country’s Senate committee on health, Ibrahim Oloriegbe, the new bill makes health insurance mandatory for all Nigerians.
MTN and AIRTEL have both launched payment services platforms in Nigeria
MTN says their platform, Momo PSB, aims for the financial inclusion of not just people in urban environments, but Nigerians who reside in rural and remote areas.
Airtel’s Smart cash PSB wants to “digitise the economy and bank the unbanked”. So basically, similar services 😳.
Other news
Lagos state police have impounded 200 motorcycles after the recent okada ban- Guardian.ng
FG makes move to end ASUU and ASUP strike by paying arrears- Punch
NBA tells Sokoto government to file appropriate charges on Deborah’s murder- ARISE TV
Lagos State Government’s ban on okada will not be applicable to delivery/logistics riders and power bikes, the police said - Guardian.ng
Will Buhari allow the ministers who have decided not to run for office back into the fold? The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says only time will tell — Premium Times