The Federal Government of Nigeria has disbursed the sum of N43,416,000,000.00 ($120.6 million) to 24 states under the World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme-for-Results.
The fund is through a performance-based grant which is wholly-financed with a loan of $750 million from the International Development Association (IDA), a member of the World Bank Group.
Kaduna, voted as having achieved the highest number of results (nine), got the highest share of N3. 960 billion, while Katsina and Benue states got the lowest amount of N540 million each.
The 24 states were said to have achieved: improved financial reporting and budget reliability; increased openness and citizens’ engagement in the budget process; improved cash management and reduced revenue leakages through the implementation of State Treasury Single Account (TSA); strengthened Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) collection; biometric registration and Bank Verification Number (BVN) used to reduce payroll fraud.
The 24 beneficiary states are Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Sokoto, Taraba and Yobe states.
The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on coronavirus, Dr Sani Aliyu, has said that banks will be allowed to open for the normal commercial operations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos and Ogun States for six hours daily from May 4.
Speaking today, April 29 on the update, Dr. Sani Aliyu said banks would be allowed to open between 8am and 2pm in the three places, saying: “in terms of the banks, this continues to be a recurring issue for all of us. We have been in touch with the CBN governor.
“Moving on from Monday, banks will open and they will operate normal services from 8am to 2pm. That is six hours but there will be the usual restrictions. For instance, self-distancing and the use of temperature monitors, hand hygiene, and making sure the capacities of banking halls are restricted so that people do not come together.”
The Presidency has advised all stakeholders to step up collective action to arrest the rapid surge in coronavirus cases in Kano and leave political and other differences aside.
In a statement today, April 29, senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu said: “there is no time for energy wasted on political point-scoring, whether by current or former holders of office – or for any differences between state and federal administrations to be publicly aired.
“This is no time for talk. Our common purpose is to preserve the lives and health of citizens.”
Garba Shehu assured Kano people that President Buhari and his government are with them in this trying time, adding that he will not let them down.
“If there is reason to believe that the mortality rate in Kano due to COVID-19 is out of control, it will spell a serious development to which the best action would be for the Federal government and state government to work more tightly together to find solutions and implement together.”
The presidency confirmed that there is up till now, there is a global shortage of personal protective equipment, virus testing kits and other medical devices required to fight the pandemic.
He said that in each and every country there are some cities and regions more severely affected than others, saying that in Nigeria, “there are currently verbal autopsies underway in Kano State to identify the precise cause of the sudden and rapid increase in mortality in recent days.
“While some may wish to believe that there are other causes at play here like hypertension, diabetes, meningitis, and acute malaria’, there are others who say it is COVID-19.
“We should be prepared to accept the medical and scientific result of the autopsies and work together to confront the common enemy.
“What we know all over the world is that communities with similar socioeconomic dynamics like Kano have found as very helpful, the sort of lockdown measures now imposed, with markets and other public places of worship shuttered more strictly.”
The Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams, has said that he is dedicating his 50th birthday anniversary, coming up tomorrow, April 30, to God and to the memory of those that have lost their lives to the raging cofonavirus global pandemic.
In a statement today, April 29 by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, the Yoruba leader said that he would be focusing more on charity to the poor and the less privileged people in the society even as he promised to continually touch the lives of the people positively. Gani Adams, who marks his birthday annually with several activities, including visits to motherless babies homes, said that Nigerians, especially from the South West, would begin to feel his impact through initiatives that would add value to their lives. He promised to concentrate more on building the future of the people through skill acquisition programmes and human capacity development initiatives, saying: “I am not getting younger. “Attaining this glorious age is never by my power or might. It is simply by the special grace of God. “God has been so wonderful to me and the rest of my family. Therefore, at 50, I think I need to do a lot more in enriching the lives of the poor people in the country. “As the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, it is important to look beyond the present situation in the country and see how we can be of help to people that have lost hope. It is wonderful putting smiles to the faces of several people through charity. “It is quite interesting impacting people’s lives positively and that is exactly what I want to live my life for. I want to impact humanity through empowerment programmes and human capacity development initiatives. These are some of the areas I would be focusing on now. “Apart from my usual social activism and crusade, I would like to use my social networks and influence to change the narratives, particularly in the South West.” Iba Adams reiterated the need for an egalitarian society, saying that the challenge before the leadership of this country now is the struggle for a better society. He urged the Federal Government to enhance social equality and equal rights for all and sundry, pointing out that social equality remains the nexus of an egalitarian society. “We need to do our job at all times, playing the role of watchdogs to the government in the overall interest of the people. “We need to tell our leaders the truth, especially on issues that have direct impact on the lives of the people. “The way the health crisis of the Coronavirus global pandemic was managed in Nigeria as well as the attendant social and inequitable distribution of palliatives to the people, really exposed the failures of the government. “It shows the level of our leaders’ insensitivity to the plights of the people and that is the reality of our situation. “And at this point in time in our country, we need to inculcate the idea of putting the interests of the people first before that of ours. A society thrives where there is justice and social equality. And that is the essence of an egalitarian society.”
Family of the murdered Divisional Police Officer (DPO), attached to Obudu Divisional Police Officer (DPO), in Cross River State Superintendent Amawu Gabriel Anang, has sent a petition to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu, accusing five police officers.
The DPO was allegedly shot and killedV in highly controversial circumstances, inside the police station he was heading on March 10, 2020.
Names of the five Officers who the family of the slain DPO fingered in the murder are Inspector Omini Ibiang(Station guard), Police CorporalEdet Ansa(Orderly to the deceased officer), ASP Egbela Sunday(Station DCO), Inspector Angelina Baggie(the officer who wasco-opted to falsely represent that she was the person who took the deceased officer to the hospital), Tony Odu (Station Chief Clerk) and, Inspector Arah Sunday (SO).
In the petition through their lawyer, Benedict Obuo Amawu, of Lawstars Advisors & Solicitors, the family told IGP Adamu, said; “we are desperately in need of justice. Justice is all that we demand at this point.”
Copies of the 48-paragraph petition dated 20th March, 2020 were sent to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and the Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the President of Senate (through the Clerk to the National Assembly, Abuja, Director- General, State Security Service (SSS), the Director, Amnesty International, Nigeria and Ordinary President Ahmed Isah of the Human Rights Radio (Brekete Family), Abuja.
The family of Ukani Felix Amawu, in the petitioners, said they also suspected official complicity and mishandling of the case by the Cross River State Police Command.
“For the records, we shall humbly and unequivocally state that the speculated Report with Ref: “DTO: 110700/03/2020, POLZIB CALABAR and AIGPOL FIB/COMPOL FIB ABUJA” circulated by the Cross River State Police Command is amply false. Thus, the report is a hasty conclusion aimed at hiding the killers of the late Officer as well as concealing the truth behind the unlawful shooting and extra-judicial killing of an innocent Officer, who had during his life, time dedicated his all to the advancement of the good image of the Nigeria Police Force,” the petitioners said.
They pleaded with the Police high command to order a thorough and full scale investigation into circumstances surrounding the officer’s death.
“We seek that the real truth be unraveled with the perpetrators arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the laws,” the petitioners said.
Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mbah, could not be reached to comments on the petition at the time of this report.
The petition is reproduced below:
THE FAMILY OF THE SLAIN (DECEASED) SP. GABRIEL AMAWU ANANG.
The Inspector-General of Police, 20th March, 2020.
The Nigeria Police Force,
Force Headquarter,
Louis Edet House,
Garki, Abuja.
Atten: The Officer in-charge IGP Intelligence Response Team (IGP- IRT.
Dear Sir,
PETITION:
MURDER: EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLING AND UNLAWFUL SHOOTING OF SP. AMAWU GABRIEL ANANG (DIVISIONAL POLICE OFFICE, OBUDU), BY SUSPECTED POLICE OFFICERS ATTACHED TO THE OBUDU POLICE DIVISION, CROSS RIVER STATE.
THE SUSPECTED POLICE OFFICERS INCLUDE
INSP. OMINI IBIANG (Station guard)
PC. EDET ANSA (Orderly to the deceased officer)
ASP. EGBELA SUNDAY (Station DCO)
INSP. Angelina Baggie (The officer who wasco-opted to falsely represent that she was the person who took the deceased officer to the Hospital)
Tony Odu(Station Chief Clerk)
INSP. ARAH SUNDAY (SO)
INTRODUCTION:
This petition is undertaken on behalf of the entire Family of Ukani Felix Amawu; the family of the slain Police Officer, SP. Amawu Gabriel Anang shot and gruesomely murdered on the 10th March, 2020 inside the Obudu Police Station in Cross River State.
Prior to his death, the deceased was a Superintendent of Police and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Nigerian Police Force, Obudu Police Division, Cross River State.
For the records, we shall humbly and unequivocally state that the speculated Report with Ref: “DTO: 110700/03/2020, POLZIB CALABAR and AIGPOL FIB/COMPOL FIB ABUJA” circulated by the Cross River State Police Command is amply false. Thus, the report is a hasty conclusion aimed at hiding the killers of the late Officer as well as concealing the truth behind the unlawful shooting and extra-judicial killing of an innocent Officer, who had during his life time dedicated his ALL to the advancement of the good image of the Nigeria Police Force.
We wish to further state that any information paraded in the media which found reliance on such reports is in itself untrue, unverifiable and baseless. Hence, the report was released and circulated without any form of investigation whatsoever. For the avoidance of doubt, the Report is herein attached as Annexure 1.
FACTS OF THE CASE:
The fact surrounding the death of SP Amawu Gabriel Anang is as follows:
The late Officer was shot at the Obudu Police Station, specifically inside the Station counter on 10thMarch, 2020.
The shooting is reported to have taken place at about 21:00hrs (9pm).
To clearly establish the fact that the Police officer was shot, we have attached herein Annexure 2 Series,evidently showing an entry point of a straight bullet directly on the right hand chest, beside the breast of the deceased officer.
The bullet from the gun shot went straight into the deceased officer’s chest and exited at his right arm/region; it would not have been possible for the officer to shot himself from that point and speculated in some quarters.
The damage occasioned by the bullet at the exit point is so grave and grievous to the extent that the deceased armpit is badly damaged, thus showing the force and effect of the straight bullet.
Independent findings have revealed that upon being shot, the deceased was left in the pool of his blood.
Findings also show that all the men and officers on duty had abandoned the officer to die in the pool of his blood.
The above is a clear indication that the act of annihilation, murder and ungodly killing orchestrated by the act of shooting was premeditated and neatly carried out with the intention to ensure that the life of the Officer was completely terminated.
In support of the above fact that the deceased officer was abandoned to die, it is on record that it was an innocent civilian who later rushed the deceased Officer to the Hospital, by this time he had passed on.
To put records straight, while driving along the street of the Police Station in Obudu, the innocent civilian had noticed the commotion at the Police Station.
Thus, he rushed inside the Station and noticed the deceased DPO was in the pool of blood, without being attended to.
It was this innocent civilian who had packed his vehicle at the road side, that later rush the deceased Officer to the Hospital with the lone support from a female Police Officer identified as PC Monica.
Further findings reveal very that the good Samaritan female police PCMonica who aided the innocentcivilianto rush the deceased officer to the Hospital was not even on duty on the date/time of the incidence.
The aforementioned Officer merely rushed to the scene of the incidence upon hearing the sudden and unfortunate sound of the gun that was released on the late officer.
She (Monica) was able to hear the gunshot sound since her apartment (Police Barracks) is directly behind the Police Station, where the Officer was brutally shot and allowed to die like a common criminal by men who should ordinarily protect the lives of Nigerians including that of their superior (deceased DPO).
To show how the Police in Obudu are complicit and desperately seeking to hide the truth, they have suddenly gone ahead to instruct one Inspector Angelinato pretend and act that she was the one that rushed the deceased Officer to the Hospital contrary to the facts as stated above. We request that this fact be thoroughly investigated for the avoidance of doubt.
Assuming without conceding that Angelinawas the person that rushed the deceased to the Hospital, the question that is begging for answer is why could it have been a woman’s responsibility to rush a dying Officer to the Hospital? Amidst the presence of able Police men on duty.
It is on record that several men were available the night the act was perpetrated, some of these men include the deceased orderly (Edet Ansa), a Police constablewho has overtly stated that when the incidence happened, he took the gun away to his house.
Why was Edet too in a hurry to take the gun away, even when a man’s life was at stake?Besides, from the information that was hurriedly circulated after the death of SP Amawu, the deceased allegedly took the gun from the Station guard, who should have hurriedly taken possession of same from the deceased after the incident, what was Edet’s business with the said rifle at that material time?
The above are some of the questions; we feel are necessary for investigation. We would later make reference to other men who were at the station.
Interestingly, when some of the family members were contacted on the night of the event, they rushed to the Police Station that night at about 23:00hrs (11pm), only to discover that the Police had hurriedly washed and were cleaning the blood stains at the counter where the Officer had been shot.
Again, why were the Police officers who are presumed to know the nitty-gritty of investigation in a hurry to wash and clean the blood area which ordinarily should form the first point of investigation?
Despite the glaring facts revealing that the deceased DPO, SP Amawu Gabriel Anang was deliberately shot, the Cross River State Commissioner of Police in the person of CP Uwem Akpang is completely adamant on the matter and has refused to sniff facts outside his preconceived notion of the facts surrounding the deceased’s murder and has flagrantly refused to direct swift, prompt and proactive investigation into the matter.
The Commissioner of Police has overtly resorted to upholding mere speculations. Thus, relying only on hearsay testimonies disclosed by the very same Police Officers in Obudu who are prime suspects in the unlawful shooting and extra-judicial killing of an innocent Police officer who has meritoriously served with clean records which now speaks for him.
To lend credence to the fact that the CP is merely acting on hearsay, on 16thof March, 2020 in a meeting session with the Commissioner of Police, other Senior Police Officers alongside immediate family members and community representatives of the deceased Officer, the CP raised unprofessional and rather baseless issues that have no nexus whatsoever with the death SP Amawu Gabriel Anang.
Interestingly, the CP admitted that prior to his death, SP Amawu Gabriel Anang had informed him one-on-one that in one of their operations in Obudu, his men had withdrawn and left the deceased officer alone in the middle of an operation.
It is clear that when this matter was reported, the CP had treated same with kid gloves and till date, no reasonable findings/discipline has been meted on the officers directly affected. The CP has refused to summon and sanction the officers who had withdrawn and left the DPO to his fate in the course of that operation.
It is important to mention very pointedly that at the said meeting; the CP had admitted and informed all who were present that the deceased SP Amawu Gabriel Anang had on several occasions, requested and pleaded that he be transferred from Obudu. Hence, he was sensing danger to his life.
29 The CP merely said he was reluctant about the requested pleas for transfer, since according to the CP, he wanted to first seek and obtain the consent of the Executive Governor of Cross River State before the transfer.
One thing that is unclear is as to whether the transfer of a DPO and/or a Police Officer ought to have been subjected to an Executive consent as in this case especially when the deceased had communicated the danger of his life.
The life of the deceased Officer may have been used to trade personal and pecuniary gains/benefits. We humble request that this too be thoroughly investigated.
For the deceased Divisional Police Officer’s men to withdraw in an operation leaving their superior to his fate, it is a clear indication that plans were already on-going to ensure that his life was completely terminated. He saw it, he suspected it, as a fine officer, the poor man alerted his superior and requested for immediate deployment, but he was left to die as a common criminal without any justification whatsoever.
Notwithstanding the seriousness associated with this matter, the corpse of the deceased officer is still lying in Obudu despite the family request that an independent Autopsy vis-à-vis a Ballistic analysis be carried out to ascertain the reason behind the unlawful shooting and extra-judicial killing of the deceased Officer.
Despite the clarity of facts, the Police Officers in Obudu are determined to conceal the truth with a view to hiding the killers of the deceased DPO, SP Amawu Gabriel Anang. In an attempt to deceive the general public as well as the deceased family, the Police in Obudu through their DCO (ASP. EGBALA SUNDAY) have comically alleged as follows:
That the deceased shot himself, in another twist, they have also alleged that the deceased died as a result of accidental discharge. Thus, hiding the picture which clearly reveal that death was occasioned by a straight bullet which was directly shot at the deceased’s chest.
Further, they have concoctedly alleged that there was a protest in Obudu Police Station on the night of the incidence, without arresting the protesters till date.
iii. That the said protest was led/masterminded by the Student Union Government (SUG) President of the Federal College of Education (FCE), Obudu.
That the student came in that night and demanding for the release of their students who were detained at the Police Station.
They have deceitfully alleged that in order to disperse the crowd of the protesting students, the late deceased DPO hurriedly came out that night, collected a rifle from the station guard and shot into the air.
In their hilarious narrative, they have also said that upon shooting into the air, the deceased DPO went inside the counter and after proving the rifle, the (deceased) removed the magazine (firearms) into his pocket.
vii. According to their contradictory testimonies, they have also said that the deceased DPO dropped the gun after he had removed the magazine, but that the gun subsequently exploded with a bullet coming out of same.
viii. Further to the paragraph above, they have also alleged that the exploded bullet went and hit a wall first and thereafter erupted into the deceased body. To every reasonable person, this line of testimony is amply deceitful and ornamentally untrue; the narrative is far from reality when considered in practical terms.
For the records, the Police in Obudu have shown a cracked wall on the picture attached as Annexure 3, wherein, it is alleged that the bullet first hit and cracked the wall before exploding and thus, harming the deceased body.
It is important to state emphatically and contrary to their analysis that the height of this wall is less than 2.9ft tall. How a bullet would have hit such wall and proceeded upward to pierce the upper region of a man who is over 5.9ft tall is completely a mystery. Unfortunately, that wall is not a stone wall which one may have assumed that the bullet could not have penetrated same.
The damage and injuries on the body of the deceased are so severe, the effect could not have been that heavy assuming without conceding that the exploded bullet actually hit the purported cracked wall before touching the deceased body.
xii. The testimony of the various Police Officers is a bundle of lies in every respect, unfortunately, this is what the Cross River State Police Command had hurriedly published vide Annexure 1 above, expecting the whole world to believe that a seasoned/competently trained Police Officer with a United Nations emblem had unprofessionally killed himself. This is totally fictional. As a family we contend and contest this false representation in its entirety.
CONCLUSION
We are desperately in need of justice and demand that the truth be unravelled with the perpetrator arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It is rather worrisome that despite that allegation of protest, no student and/or student leader(s) have been arrested in connection with the death of SP Amawu Gabriel Anang. At least one would have expected that the alleged protesting students/their leaders be arrested and thoroughly investigated with a view to uncovering the whole truth.
The students purported to have been detained have since been released. In less than 24hours after the incidence, a picture attached as Annexure 4 was taken. Thus, same clearly show that there was no detainee as at 11th March, 2020. From the attached picture, the detention board had carefully been cleaned up.
Based on the above, the testimony of Police Officers in Obudu vis-à-vis the publication (Annexure 1) by the Cross River State Police Command is totally untrue and unverifiable, same is a product of hasty conclusion. As a family we contend and contest same in their entirety, the false representation as per the report and all testimonies.
Once again, we are desperately in need of justice. Justice is all that we demand at this point. We seek that the real truth be unravelled with the perpetrators arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the laws.
To this end, we appeal very respectfully that you use your good office(s) to arrest, investigate and prosecute all Police Officers in Obudu, particularly, officers mentioned above and same include: Inspector Insp. Omini Ibiang (Station Guard), PC Edet Ansa (Orderly to the deceased Officer), ASP. Egbala Sunday (Station DCO), INSP. Arah Sunday (SO), ASP I. Egwa (Station 2 IC), Inspector Angelina Baggie (co-opted to falsely represent that she was the person who took the deceased officer to the Hospital). Other suspected officers Tony Odu (Station Chief Clerk), Sergeant Itoro etc., as well as every officer connected to the matter.
From the facts and circumstances of this case, these named persons have information as to the unlawful shooting, extra-judicial killing and gruesome murder of our deceased son, husband, father and brother – late SP Amawu, Gabriel Anang. Apart from the joint act of conspiracy, one of them should be able to reveal the fellow that released the trigger on the late officer.
Other personnel and officer in the Police Division should also promptly be investigated and interrogated with a view to ascertaining the whole truth.
We also demand that the SUG President of the Federal College of Education Obudu and all the students linked with this murder should be arrested, investigated and prosecuted where a prima facie case is made out against them. Their arrest and timely investigation will give preliminary insight into the unfortunate incidence. The students said to have been detained on the night of the incidence should as well be arrested, investigated and prosecuted where necessary.
The Commissioner of Police (CP Uwem Akpan) should be questioned and disciplined for the act of monumental neglect and laxity in this matter and above all, we demand that an independent Autopsy and Ballistic Analysis be conducted in this case. Those responsible for the hasty publication of Annexure 1 and misleading the general public without necessary verification and prior investigation of the matter should be disciplined as well.
Sir, we hold the view in accordance with our extant criminal laws that a case of Murder of this nature, especially, a case where a serving Police Officer was shot and murdered in cold blood at his own division, should not be treated with kid gloves. Truth be told, it is a direct confrontation on the integrity/prowess of the esteem institution of the Nigeria Police Force.
We demand for JUSTICE and request very respectfully that this matter be given accelerated and prompt attention.
On your request, we shall avail necessary information and further clarification as may be required.
Thank you and accept our warm regards.
Yours faithfully,
BENEDICT OBUO AMAWU, ESQ
(On behalf of the deceased family)
07031846089
Cc:
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abuja.
The Executive Secretary, Human Right Commission, Abuja.
The President of Senate, through the Clerk of the National Assembly, Abuja.
The Director General, State Security Service (SSS), Abuja.
The Director Amnesty International, Nigeria.
The Ordinary President Ahmed Isah, Human Right Radio, Brekete Family, Abuja.
Lagos has discharged coronavirus patients from two of its facilities according to the State’s Ministry of Health.
The patients, who were discharged from the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba (18) and the Onikan Isolation Centre (31) have fully recovered and tested negative to coronavirus in twice.
28 of the patients are female while 21 are male including a Greek national.
Today’s, April 28 discharge brings the total number of patients successfully managed and discharged in Lagos to 187.
The global economy is in a tailspin. IMF and the World Bank have both predicted a contraction of the global economy with developing economies likely to be worst affected. This situation is the direct result of the menace of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the energy crisis that the world faces. With many businesses and factories on lockdown, with the tourism and travel industry playing possum, the world is confronted with a demand and supply shock, and a financial and economic shock in addition to a catalytic global health crisis, the end of which no one knows. Commodity dependent countries like Nigeria, Algeria and Angola, in the absence of buffers to deal with endogenous and exogenous shocks are in dire straits. The Micro, Small and Medium Scale Sector is also facing special difficulties. In a country like Nigeria where SMEs account for about 85% of the economy, many businesses are bound to declare bankruptcy or die off, sending millions of persons into the unemployment market. Before COVID-19, Nigeria’s unemployment rate stood at over 23%. This will get worse. Nigeria’s GDP growth profile for 2020 has been downgraded from a possibility of 2.4% to about 1.3%, and with projected contractions of 0.5% in the first quarter and 0.3% in the second quarter, Nigeria’s economic outlook for 2020 and beyond is severe. Many other countries are in a similar situation, even if the degree of vulnerability varies.
Only last week, Arik Air took the decision to cut the salary of its staff by 80% for the month of April; by May, it says it will ask 90% of its workforce to proceed on leave without pay until further notice. Arik Air expects its staff to understand the situation in which the company has found itself. In March, the Nigerian government shut down the country’s airports to prevent the importation of COVID-19 cases into the country. Arik and other airlines, as is the case with other airlines worldwide have not been able to do business or earn regular revenue. Another company, Mikano International Nigeria Ltd., has already sacked over 600 of its workers due to the biting effect of COVID-19. More companies are bound to take similar steps, to cut cost and ensure business continuity. What makes the situation worse is that the adverse economic impact of Corona Virus is bound to last longer than the disease itself. This is probably the most disruptive aspect of the current global experience.
The effect is already most telling at the individual and household levels. Many have referred to the similarity between COVID-19 and the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, but except for a minority of persons who were alive in 1918 and are still alive today, the fact is that the present generation is totally unfamiliar with a pandemic of this scale. It is for us, a strange phenomenon. It has disrupted our lives and our world. Many bread winners have lost their bread. In many homes, pronounced poverty has become a reality. As lockdowns continue, families find their resources being depleted, or they sink deeper into debts, as an epidemic of empty pockets rears its head. Thus, a poverty pandemic is certain, especially in developing countries where there are no social safety nets, or unemployment benefits, and when that is combined with a COVID-19 pandemic, the consequences could be fatal for society.
Meanwhile, in many African countries, both governments and the people are arguing over whether or not a prolonged lockdown can help check the spread of COVID-19, and how best Africa can adjust its response strategy to basic realities in the continent. For example, Africa has a huge population of self-employed persons in the informal sector: an army of cab drivers, motorcyclists, barbers, event-centre managers, hairstylists, make up artists, artisans and traders who work daily to earn a living and are now stranded at home, unable to sustain themselves. Their home economics has been violated. Their daily source of income has been wiped out. While the rich may have savings and be able to fall back on financial reserves, the poor who hardly ever save, and rarely have any surplus to save for the rainy day, because for them it rains every day, are most vulnerable. The effect as seen in Nigeria, is that many people are beginning to defy the lockdown order and government’s determination to enforce it. The hungry and the angry can be seen on the streets of Lagos begging for food and money, or threatening to attack the rich. There is a looming crisis of social unrest. Business owners are also beginning to suggest that it may perhaps be more advisable to ease the restrictions to allow businesses to function. Nigeria recorded its first index case on February 27. President Muhammadu Buhari announced the lockdown of Ogun, Lagos and the FCT on March 29. States subsequently imposed dusk to dawn curfews and shut down their borders.
But where is the trade off? Should we cancel the lockdown and allow businesses to re-open, so people can keep their jobs and businesses can make profit? I do not buy the argument that businesses should re-open. We must avoid the mistake made by Mayor William Randolph Mills in Denver Colorado, United States, in 1918. Denver was shut down for five weeks during the Spanish Flu but as business owners began to mount pressure on the Mayor, arguing that the plague was under control, and that life should return to normal, Mayor Mills succumbed. It was a decision the city regretted. More people died – 8,000 in total. Nigeria must tread cautiously and avoid the error of imitation. It is better to be patient than to become patients. The urge to protect or attract investments should not supersede the need to protect the people from themselves.
On that score, African governments are often obsessed with the search for investments, even if many of these countries fail to provide the necessary infrastructure, enabling environment, and policy framework to support business, either local or foreign. This has been a major challenge for Nigeria too, but whatever efforts that may have been made to improve the environment have also been affected by the shocks and uncertainties occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. Investors like to hedge their bets and minimize risks. Whereas it has been said that certain aspects of the economy stand to gain from the current situation, such as tech finance, telecommunications and agri-tech startups, the reality has been in the shape of capital flight, disruptions in the markets and distortions that could precipitate a long-lasting financial crisis.
Let us remember that investments and businesses were the first to take the Corona Virus hit. From Asia to Europe to the United States and everywhere, stocks crashed. In the month of March alone, the Nigerian Stock Exchange lost over a trillion Naira. Portfolio investors dumped their investments and tried to convert their stakes into dollar, thus putting pressure on the Naira, the country’s national currency. The Naira depreciated quickly, forcing the Central Bank to close its multiple Forex windows and adjust prices – a euphemism for currency devaluation. The New York Stock Exchange at a point had to shut down. Stock Exchanges across the world, including Nigeria’s have since opted for remote trading. Trading has always occurred on the floor of the market each time markets opened, but Corona Virus has driven every floor broker into holes. Even foreign remittances from the Diaspora, a major source of support for African economies, have shrunk, and that may be the case in the short to medium term window. The challenge that governments face is how to turn the challenges of today into new opportunities for a re-set. Investors are bound to remain careful and watchful, especially in volatile sectors. There is no point jumping the gun.
The effect of the disruption is perhaps best magnified by the crisis in the global oil industry. With the global industrial complex shut down, the oil industry faced a demand and supply crisis, resulting in a sharp drop in the spot price of crude oil. In the last few weeks, oil prices have fluctuated between $65/barrel in January to as low as $22/barrel by March 30, and up to $34/barrel by April 8, and about a week ago, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) went into negative territory, selling at below a dollar per barrel due to a demand-supply-storage crisis. Brent Crude dropped to as low as $19/barrel only to improve slightly in the face of tensions in the Middle East between the United States and Iran. In March, an OPEC+ meeting to agree on production cuts in order to ensure a balance between demand and supply, and hence stabilize prices, ended in a stalemate, and a price war, as Russia opposed the move. By April, OPEC+ and non-OPEC members eventually agreed to a 10% production cut, but this was a case of too little, too late.
Oil revenue accounts for about 80% of Nigeria’s foreign exchange revenue and provides the benchmark for its budget. Nigeria’s 2020 budget originally had a crude oil benchmark of $57/barrel, and a production output of between 1.7 million to 2.1 million barrels per day. With the crash in oil price, and the OPEC+ production cuts, Nigeria’s Budget 2020 was turned upside down; its production quota has been further reduced. The Federal Government has since revised the benchmark downwards to $30/barrel, and shaved off close to half of the budget. Nigeria may have to review its 2020 budget benchmark again, and the situation could get worse if uncertainties persist in the global oil market. Right now, Nigeria is already operating at a loss. At least one commentator has predicted that the country faces a Venezuela or Zimbabwe-like situation. Growth is stagnant. Inflation is rising: at 12.26%, there is no indication that the figure for April ending will be better. The energy crisis occasioned by COVID-19 should be a wake-up call for mono-cultural economies like Nigeria, and a pointer to the importance of diversification. As it is, Nigeria faces a revenue squeeze, a sovereign debt crisis and a liquidity crisis. Federation Accounts Allocations (FAAC) shared monthly between the Federal Government and the states have dropped from a projected N888.5 billion to N716.36 billion in January, and N647. 4 billion in February, with a slight rise to N780. 9 billion in March. The share for April and May/June could drop to as low as N400 billion, which is why the Federal Government is seeking foreign loans and the withdrawal of N150 billion from the Stabilization Fund component of the country’s Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF). The need for economic reform in Nigeria has never been more urgent than now. COVID-19 has exposed fault lines and vulnerabilities in Nigeria’s economy and its health and education sectors.
The long and short of it is that the economics of Corona virus or Coronanomics, shows the interconnectedness of everything, that is the value chain of human existence from biology to economics, politics, technology, trade, investment, race, culture, identity and everything else. In the face of such infinitude, what is most required is leadership to help the people regain a sense of balance and restore all things that may have gone awry. Where leadership fails, the people’s misery is made worse, but the leadership also pays a price. When the New York Stock Market crashed in October 1929, Herbert Hoover (R) who had distinguished himself as a great mobiliser of relief efforts after World War 1 was the President of the United States. But his failure to manage the Great Depression, tactically and realistically, ruined his reputation.
In 1932, he lost the Presidential election to Franklin Delano Roosevelt (D). Roosevelt introduced the New Deal and an effective stimulus package that was backed by the Federal Government. This helped the United States to recover faster than other countries. Many countries were still battling with the Depression until World War II broke out in 1944. The quality of leadership made all the difference. Roosevelt was re-elected four times as President. Hoover is not remembered as a great American President. FDR died in office as one of America’s greatest. The cause of the Great Depression of 1929 -1944 may have been economic or financial, and the cause of COVID-19 may be biological, but there are clear areas of convergence in terms of economic and political impact. The fortunes and legacies of political leaders today may rise and fall with COVID-19 and its various fall-outs.
The common denominator, so far, is the attempt by governments to protect and save lives and the economy. China is ahead in moving quickly from pandemic to economic recovery. The United States, UK, Canada, Russia, Japan, United Arab Emirates and other countries have announced different stimulus packages to cushion the effect on households and businesses. In Nigeria, the government has also introduced a number of measures and initiatives. But many questions have been raised about the quality of our government’s intervention and strategy. Nigeria has a reputation for doing the right thing the wrong way. We see that at play. There are yawning disparities in the delivery of Conditional Cash Transfers and doubts have been expressed about the enabling criteria and the absolute numbers. Nigeria is targeting 3.6 million households, and a total of 11. 6 million persons who are considered poor and vulnerable because they have less than N5, 000 in their bank accounts and cannot afford to buy up to a N100 worth of recharge cards. In a country of 200 million people, even if this cash transfer is well-managed, it would amount to a non-intervention. Food palliatives have also been announced in the form of release of 70, 000 metric tonnes of grains from the National Grains Reserve. Yet, a few days ago, the Oyo State Government openly rejected 1,800 bags of rice donated to the state by the Federal Government on the grounds that the rice was infested with weevils!
Corona Virus confronts Nigeria with basic Economics and Sociology 101 lessons. Nigeria may well end up not as one of Ruchir Sharma’s BreakOut Nations(Norton and Company, 2012) but as a Break Down Nation. Nobody can predict the point at which the country’s leaders will begin to understand the difference between both. The relevant lessons lie in the nexus between politics, economy and leadership.
British Airways is set to throw no fewer 12,000 workers into job market as part of a restructuring against the back drop of coronavirus pandemic.
A statement today, April 28 said holds Iberia and Vueling, are taking the decision on the basis that it believed it would be some years before air traffic volumes would return to normal.
Mohammed, son of the former Nigeria’s Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has expressed gratitude to God for making him to survive coronavirus 40 days after he was tested positive.
Mohammed, who was discharged today, April 27, recounted the lessons he learnt while in isolation and treatment center, even as he thanked Nigerians for their prayers and support.
In a statement today, which personally signed, Mohammed said: “in the course of life, we have no idea of what will happen to us because only the Almighty Allah knows our future. When the coronavirus first broke out in far away China, I had no idea that I might be one of those to be infected.
“This is one of the everlasting lessons I can’t forget for the rest of my life. Indeed, I have been humbled by this experience. Words cannot sufficiently convey the depth of my joy over my recovery and discharge.”
Read the full text of Mohammed’s statement:
I, Mohammed Atiku Abubakar, wish to inform Nigerians that I have finally been cleared and discharged after 40 days of coronavirus (Covid19) treatment.
My discharge could not have come at a better time than in the Ramadan, a season marked by sacrifice and supplication to the Almighty Allah.
I thank the Almighty Allah for my recovery from the dreaded infection and also wish to express my sincerest and deepest appreciation to Nigerians for their prayers and goodwill while I was being treated.
In the course of life, we have no idea of what will happen to us because only the Almighty Allah knows our future. When the coronavirus first broke out in far away China, I had no idea that I might be one of those to be infected. This is one of the everlasting lessons I can’t forget for the rest of my life. Indeed, I have been humbled by this experience. Words cannot sufficiently convey the depth of my joy over my recovery and discharge.
Since I tested positive after my return from abroad and my isolation for treatment, I was inundated with incredible expressions of goodwill by Nigerians. This pandemic has united the rich and the poor and, indeed, the rest of the world against this novel lethal virus that has caused economic and social disruptions globally.
No matter our problems, however, we shouldn’t lose hope in our own country. Despite the limitations of our health system, the Federal Ministry of Health and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control have done tremendously well, despite these daunting challenges. Our doctors, nurses and other front line health workers also deserve accolades for their sacrifices and professionalism during this challenging period of our country.
Every epidemic or pandemic comes with its lessons. The coronavirus has caught the world off guard and sent us reeling for solutions. It also reveals the weaknesses of our health systems in the developing world. It’s an eye opening experience for Nigeria and other developing nations.
Thanks to coronavirus outbreak, we are now coming to terms with the necessity of adequate funding of our healthcare system. This disease has brought the rich, the poor and the powerful to a common level. This is the time our policy makers should reset our national priorities and give our health system adequate attention. No investment in our health sector is too much.
In October 2016, the then Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health (currently the Minister of Health), Dr. Osagie Ehanire was quoted by The Guardian Newspaper as saying that Nigeria was spending a whopping $1 billion dollars annually on medical tourism abroad. This revelation is a reminder of the urgent need to mobilise resources towards upgrading our health system at home in order to render medical tourism almost unnecessary. It’s time to restore confidence in our own health system and that can only be achieved by adequate investment and funding.
No less important, our policy makers should also adequately fund research in vaccines and other drugs because of the uncertainties and challenges like the coronavirus.
Once again, thank you for your support and prayers, may Allah show up for you at your appointed time of need. May the Almighty Allah be with all those still in the Isolation Centre and grant them healing.
President Muhammadu Buhari has announced a curfew of 8pm to 6am in place of the total lockdown in Lagos and Ogun State as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from May 4, even as he imposed total lockdown of Kano State in further attempts to control coronavirus pandemic in the country.
The new measures were made known today, April 27, in a nationwide broadcast on the progress that had been made so far in the efforts at controlling the spread of the pandemic.
Read the full presidential broadcast below:
1. Fellow Nigerians
2. I will start by commending you all for the resilience and patriotism that you have shown in our collective fight against the biggest health challenge of our generation.
3. As at yesterday, 26th April 2020, some 3 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been recorded globally with about 900,000 recoveries. Unfortunately, some 200,000 people have passed away as a result of this pandemic.
4. The health systems and economies of many nations continue to struggle as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
5. Nigeria continues to adapt to these new global realities on a daily basis. Today, I will present the facts as they are and explain our plans for the coming months fully aware that some key variables and assumptions may change in the coming days or weeks.
6. Exactly two weeks ago, there were 323 confirmed cases in 20 States and the Federal Capital Territory.
7. As at this morning, Nigeria had recorded 1,273 cases across 32 States and the FCT. Unfortunately, this includes 40 deaths.
8. I am using this opportunity to express our deepest condolences to the families of all Nigerians that have lost their loved ones as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is our collective loss and we share your grief.
9. Initial models predicted that Nigeria will record an estimated 2,000 confirmed cases in the first month after the index case.
10. This means that despite the increase in the number of confirmed cases recorded in the past two weeks, the measures we have put in place thus far have yielded positive outcomes against the projections.
11. The proportion of cases imported from other countries has reduced to only 19% of new cases, showing that our border closures yielded positive results. These are mostly fellow Nigerians returning through our land borders. We will continue to enforce land border arrival protocols as part of the containment strategy.
12. Today, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has accredited 15 laboratories across the country with an aggregate capacity to undertake 2,500 tests per day across the country.
13. Based on your feedback, Lagos State Government and the FCT with support from NCDC have established several sample collection centers. They are also reviewing their laboratory testing strategy to further increase the number of tests they can perform including the accreditation of selected private laboratories that meet the accreditation criteria.
14. Several new fully equipped treatment and isolation centres have been operationalised across the country thereby increasing bed capacity to about three thousand.
15. I commend the State Governors for the activation of State-level Emergency Operation Centres, establishment of new treatment centres and the delivery of aggressive risk communication strategies.
16. Over 10,000 healthcare workers have been trained. For their protection, additional personal protective equipment have been distributed to all the states.
17. Although we have experienced logistical challenges, we remain committed to establishing a solid supply chain process to ensure these heroic professionals can work safely and are properly equipped.
18. In keeping with our Government’s promise to improve the welfare of healthcare workers, we have signed a memorandum of understanding on the provision of hazard allowances and other incentives with key health sector professional associations.
19. We have also procured insurance cover for 5,000 frontline health workers. At this point, I must commend the insurance sector for their support in achieving this within a short period of time.
20. Nigeria has also continued to receive support from the international community, multilateral agencies, the private sector and public-spirited individuals. This support has ensured that critical lifesaving equipment and materials, which have become scarce globally, are available for Nigeria through original equipment manufacturers and government-to-government processes.
21. The distribution and expansion of palliatives which I directed in my earlier broadcast is still on-going in a transparent manner. I am mindful of the seeming frustration being faced by expectant citizens. I urge all potential beneficiaries to exercise patience as we continue to fine tune our logistical and distribution processes working with the State Governments.
22. Our Security Agencies continue to rise to the challenge posed by this unusual situation. While we feel deeply concerned about isolated security incidents, I want to assure all Nigerians that your safety and security remain our primary concern especially in these difficult and uncertain times.
23. As we focus on protecting lives and properties, we will not tolerate any human rights abuse by our security agencies. The few reported incidences are regrettable, and I want to assure you that the culprits will be brought to justice.
24. I urge all Nigerians to continue to cooperate and show understanding whenever they encounter security agents. Furthermore, for their protection, I have instructed that the personnel of all the security agencies be provided with the necessary personal protective equipment against infection.
25. As we continue to streamline our response in the centres of Lagos and the FCT, I am gravely concerned about the unfortunate developments in Kano in recent days. Although an in-depth investigation is still on-going, we have decided to deploy additional Federal Government manpower, material and technical resources to strengthen and support the State Government’s efforts, with immediate effect.
26. In Kano, and indeed many other States that are recording new cases, preliminary findings show that such cases are mostly from interstate travel and emerging community transmission.
27. Drawing from these, I implore all Nigerians to continue to adhere strictly to the advisories published by the Presidential Task Force and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
28. These include regular hand washing, physical distancing, wearing of face masks/coverings in public, avoidance of non-essential movement and travels and avoidance of large gatherings.
29. Fellow Nigerians, for the past four weeks, most parts of our country have been under either Federal Government or State Government lockdown. As I mentioned earlier, these steps were necessary and overall, have contributed to slowing down the spread of COVID-19 in our country.
30. However, such lockdowns have also come at a very heavy economic cost. Many of our citizens have lost their means of livelihood. Many businesses have shut down. No country can afford the full impact of a sustained lockdown while awaiting the development of vaccines.
31. In my last address, I mentioned that Federal Government will develop strategies and policies that will protect lives while preserving livelihoods.
32. In these two weeks, the Federal and State Governments have jointly and collaboratively worked hard on how to balance the need to protect health while also preserving livelihoods, leveraging global best practices while keeping in mind our peculiar circumstances.
33. We assessed how our factories, markets, traders and transporters can continue to function while at the same time adhering to NCDC guidelines on hygiene and social distancing.
34. We assessed how our children can continue to learn without compromising their health.
35. We reviewed how our farmers can safely plant and harvest in this rainy season to ensure our food security is not compromised. Furthermore, we also discussed how to safely transport food items from rural production areas to industrial processing zones and ultimately, to the key consumption centres.
36. Our goal was to develop implementable policies that will ensure our economy continues to function while still maintaining our aggressive response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These same difficult decisions are being faced by leaders around the world.
37. Based on the above and in line with the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the various Federal Government committees that have reviewed socio-economic matters and the Nigeria Governors Forum, I have approved a phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in FCT, Lagos and Ogun States effective from Monday, 4th May, 2020.
38. However, this will be followed strictly with aggressive reinforcement of testing and contact tracing measures while allowing the restoration of some economic and business activities in certain sectors.
39. Furthermore, new nationwide measures are to be introduced as follows;
a. There will be an overnight curfew from 8pm to 6am. This means all movements will be prohibited during this period except for essential services;
b. There will be a ban on non-essential inter-state passenger travel until further notice;
c. Partial and controlled interstate movement of goods and services will be allowed for the movement of goods and services from producers to consumers; and
d. We will strictly ensure the mandatory use of face masks or coverings in public in addition to maintaining physical distancing and personal hygiene. Furthermore, the restrictions on social and religious gatherings shall remain in place. State Governments, corporate organisations and philanthropists are encouraged to support the production of cloth masks for citizens.
40. For the avoidance of doubt, the lockdown in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun States shall remain in place until these new ones come into effect on Monday, 4th May 2020.
41. The Presidential Task Force shall provide sector specific details to allow for preparations by Governments, businesses and institutions.
42. In respect to the above guidelines, State Governors may choose to adapt and expand based on their unique circumstances provided they maintain alignment with the guidelines issued above.
43. To support our businesses and traders, the monetary and fiscal authorities shall deploy all the necessary provisions needed for production to continue and thus, jobs restored.
44. These revised guidelines will not apply to Kano State.
45. With regards to Kano, I have directed the enforcement of a total lockdown for a period of two weeks effective immediately. The Federal Government shall deploy all the necessary human, material and technical resources to support the State in controlling and containing the pandemic and preventing the risk of further spread to neighbouring States.
46. I wish to once again, commend the frontline workers across the country who, on a daily basis, risk everything to ensure we win this fight. For those who got infected in the line of duty, rest assured that Government will do all it takes to support you and your families during this exceedingly difficult period. I will also take this opportunity to assure you all that your safety, wellbeing and welfare remain paramount to our Government.
47. I will also recognise the support we have received from our traditional rulers, the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and other prominent religious and community leaders. Your cooperation and support have significantly contributed to the successes we have recorded to date.
48. I will urge you all to please continue to create awareness on the seriousness of the coronavirus among your worshippers and communities while appealing that they strictly comply with public health advisories.
49. I also thank the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Presidential Task Force for all their hard work to date. Through this collaboration, I remain confident that success is achievable.
50. I also wish to thank corporate organisations, philanthropists, the UN system, the European Union, friendly nations, the media and other partners that have taken up the responsibility of supporting our response.
51. And finally, I will thank all Nigerians again for your patience and cooperation during this difficult and challenging period. I assure you that government shall continue to take all necessary measures to protect the lives and livelihoods of our citizens and residents.
52. I thank you for listening and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on coronavirus, Dr Sani Aliyu, has said that banks will be allowed to open for the normal commercial operations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos and Ogun States for six hours daily from May 4.
The Presidency has advised all stakeholders to step up collective action to arrest the rapid surge in coronavirus cases in Kano and leave political and other differences aside.
Lagos has discharged coronavirus patients from two of its facilities according to the State’s Ministry of Health.
The global economy is in a tailspin. IMF and the World Bank have both predicted a contraction of the global economy with developing economies likely to be worst affected. This situation is the direct result of the menace of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the energy crisis that the world faces. With many businesses and factories on lockdown, with the tourism and travel industry playing possum, the world is confronted with a demand and supply shock, and a financial and economic shock in addition to a catalytic global health crisis, the end of which no one knows. Commodity dependent countries like Nigeria, Algeria and Angola, in the absence of buffers to deal with endogenous and exogenous shocks are in dire straits. The Micro, Small and Medium Scale Sector is also facing special difficulties. In a country like Nigeria where SMEs account for about 85% of the economy, many businesses are bound to declare bankruptcy or die off, sending millions of persons into the unemployment market. Before COVID-19, Nigeria’s unemployment rate stood at over 23%. This will get worse. Nigeria’s GDP growth profile for 2020 has been downgraded from a possibility of 2.4% to about 1.3%, and with projected contractions of 0.5% in the first quarter and 0.3% in the second quarter, Nigeria’s economic outlook for 2020 and beyond is severe. Many other countries are in a similar situation, even if the degree of vulnerability varies.
British Airways is set to throw no fewer 12,000 workers into job market as part of a restructuring against the back drop of coronavirus pandemic.
