1. Wike signs N15.8bn contract for fifth flyover, other roads
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike says he will not politicise the development of the State.
He has therefore reiterated his commitment to providing quality infrastructure that would enhance the development of the State.
Wike gave the assurance during the signing of the contract papers for the award of the GRA Junction Flyover in Port Harcourt.
According to him, the provisions of critical infrastructure will not be politicised because Rivers people deserve the best.
“Today, we have signed the papers for the award of N15.8 billion contract for the GRA Flyover and also the dualization of the Ezimgbu Link Road up to Stadium Road, and from Genesis Eatery Axis of Tombia Road up to Ikwerre Road.
2. Update: 10 cars, one trailer burnt in LASTMA Yard Fire
Ten cars and one trailer have been burnt in the inferno that engulfed the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, Yard, Oshodi, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Friday.
The cause of the fire outbreak has not yet been ascertained.
Spokesperson, LASEMA, Nosa Okunbor said information gathered by its Response Team, on arrival at the scene, revealed that the fire started from the compound where impounded vehicles were kept.
“The course of the fire was unknown as at the time of filling in this report.
“A total number of ten cars and one trailer was razed by the inferno,” he said.
He added that “no casualties was recorded at the scene as the LRT, LRU Fire and LASG Fire are all responders.
“The fire has been successfully put out by joint responders, dampening down is presently ongoing.”
2. Yes, ‘I’m not a fan of Obaseki’, but Pa Bode
George misread my Edo guber comments
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has denied saying that Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, would lose his re-election bid and asked former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George to go get a rest.
Fayose accused George of deliberately reading different meanings to what he said on the Edo State governorship election for cheap political gains.
George had accused Fayose of saying that Obaseki would lose the forthcoming governorship election in the state and condemned the alleged statement by the former governor.
However, in a statement he made available through his spokesman, Lere Olayinka on Friday, Fayose denied the allegation by George.
He pointed out that what he said was he believed “Obaseki will win, but he should honour his agreement with the PDP by not returning to APC after assuming office for the second term for flimsy excuses.”
3. Kaduna gov, El-Rufai, reveals those inciting violence in his domain
The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai has revealed those inciting wanton violence in his domain.
Governor El-Rufai who was speaking at the state’s Government House on Thursday while playing host to the Primate of Anglican Church, Henry Ndukuba, accused clerics of instigating violence in the State.
El-Rufai said the clerics use their platforms to preach disunity rather than peace which would benefit the state.
The governor however insisted that his administration has been able to contain violence at its point of origin.
According to him: “Our study of the situation over four decades has shown that the main drivers of this violence are a few clerics that use their platforms, not to preach peaceful co-existence or promote our common humanity.
“Rather, they use their platforms and revered positions to divide and incite violence. I was sad to hear from the primate that he was a victim in 1987, when his house was burnt down in Wusasa, Zaria.
“In those days, the primate will recall that this sort of violence starts from one part of the state and spreads all over the state.
“One credit that this government gets from everyone, including our adversaries, has been our ability to contain these outbreaks to their points of origin.”
This came after the State government relaxed the curfew in Kaura and Jema’a local government areas of the state.
4. Arewa group begs FG to ban pon sites from Nigeria's cyberspace
The group says individuals or companies that refuse to comply with the ban should be fined.
The Arewa Youth Consultative Council (AYCC) has asked the Federal Government to block 'sxual and immorally-related' websites from the Nigerian cyberspace.
In a statement signed by the group's spokesperson, Muhammad Ibrahim, on Friday, August 14, 2020, AYCC said it is concerned by the exposure of Nigerian youths to 'sexual contamination'.
The group said the exposure of Nigerian youths to sxual content is fueling a culture of indecency, immorality and increasing cases of sxual misbehaviours.
AYCC, in the letter addressed to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, called on the government to enforce a strict monitoring policy that will remove ponographic content.
5. Boko Haram: Prepare For Increase In Crisis, Hunger In Northeast – UN Warns Nigeria
The humanitarian coordinator said, “The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting us all. Its devastating effects will distress Nigeria’s most fragile region. Unless we take immediate action, we should prepare for a spike in conflict, hunger and destitution in north-east Nigeria.”
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator while speaking at an online High-Level Briefing, with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq and Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum, as well as other UN and NGO representatives, stressed that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates the dire humanitarian situation in Borno, Adamawa and the Yobe States, and risks wreaking havoc on the most vulnerable population.
UN further stated that over 10.6 million people out of a total of 13 million, or four in five people will need some form of humanitarian assistance in 2020.
This is close to a 50 per cent increase in people in need since last year, mainly from increasing violence and insecurity further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.
6. Nigerians React To Latest €5.5m Abacha Loot From Ireland
The Criminal Assets Bureau took part in this international operation which led to the freezing of over $1 billion in funds worldwide, of which approximately €5.5 million was identified in a Dublin based bank account.
“The return of these assets will be the first time that Ireland has taken such action and will be a concrete demonstration of Ireland’s commitment to international cooperation in the fight against corruption and to assisting countries which have been adversely affected by corruption in the past, and is in line with our international obligations as a signatory to the UN Convention Against Corruption.”
7. IDPs: We will never forgive our oppressors
How do you want us to feel seeing these people (repentant terrorists) among us in the society? Someone who had terrorised me? Without giving us any incentive to make us happy, this same government is not prioritising on how to return us to our ancestral homes.
“The government should first rehabilitate those that were offended, if not, it is making a grave mistake. We are talking about camp, nothing is happening here. We are feeling like non-Nigerians in our country; we own this country together!”
This was the outburst of Bauchi State Chairman of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Mr. Buba Musa Shehu, who relocated to the state in 2014, following an attacked by Boko Haram in Borno State.
Shehu, who said his family would never forgive their tormentors, explained that there are about 56,000 IDPs across the 20 councils in the state, adding: “We don’t have a defined camp here in Bauchi State; we are in host communities where they absorbed us. We pay our house rent, school fees, hospital and other bills ourselves.
8. Nigeria discharges 1,689 Covid-19 patients in one day
In what is now the second highest number of Covid-19 patients to be discharged in one day in Nigeria, at least 1,689 persons recovered from the dreaded viral infection on Friday. This brings the total number of successfully treated cases now 35,998
Meanwhile, 21 states recorded 329 new Covid-19 infections bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Nigeria to 48,445.
The states that have reported new Covid-19 cases include Lagos-113; Kaduna-49; FCT-33; Plateau-24; Kano-16; Edo-15; Ogun-14; Delta-13 and Osun-10.
Oyo State has 8 new Covid-19 infections; Ekiti and Bayelsa-6 each; Akwa Ibom-5; Borno and Enugu-4 each; Ebonyi-3; Rivers-2; Bauchi, Nasarawa, Gombe and Niger-1 each.
There were 7 new Covid-19 fatalities reported in Nigeria with the national death toll rising to 973.
