NIGERIA'S president was left red-faced after he appointed a man who died more than two months ago to a top job.
Muhammadu Buhari, 77, has previously appointed at least five other dead people to the boards of government agencies - meaning its the sixth time he's made such an error.
President Buhari - who is nicknamed "Baba Go Slow" - appointed Tobias Chukwuemeka Okwuru to Nigerian agency the Federal Character Commission.
He appointed the man despite his funeral taking place in February.
Applications for the job were reopened when journalists pointed out the error, with Mr Okwuru dying aged 59.
The president's aides have hit back and claimed the embarrassing mistake was actually down to the long screening process for the role.
It comes after he had previously handed out at least five top jobs to the dead back in 2017.
Among those promoted was Francis Okpozo, who had been dead for almost a year when he was named chairman of the board of the Nigerian Press Council.
President Buhari earned his nickname due to that fact he took six months to name his first cabinet in 2015.
And back in 2018 he was forced to deny rumours of his own death and that he had been replaced with a body double named Jubril.
He was previously Nigeria's military ruler for two years between 1983 an 1985 after leading a coup, and has blamed democracy for slowing him down.
Previously, the president said: "It’s not Baba that is slow but it is the system, so I am going by this system and I hope we will make it."
The late Mr Okwuru's name was part of a list of 37 new appointees which was read aloud to the senate.
President Buhari's media aide Lauretta Onochie defended the move - saying he wasn't dead when the recruitment process started.
She said: "He even came to update his CV in readiness for the appointment after the senate screening.
"When he sadly passed away while waiting for the screening by the senate, that information was not communicated."
Friends of the deceased politician slammed the government for the mistake.
Dr Chike Onwe said: "Please, in God’s name, leave us alone to mourn our dead. Keep your belated appointment."
Kitzito Nwankwo added: “We all waited for it, and it came only when you had gone, deepening the hole in our hearts, reminding us the vacuum your departure created."
President Buhari was first elected in 2015, and was re-elected last year in a landslide by more than 3million votes.
He came under critcism back in September, 2016, after he was found to have copied Barack Obama's inauguration speech.
The leader later blamed "overzealous staff" - and his team were given anti-plagiarism software to make sure it didn't happen again.
President Buhari also denied his own death in December, 2018, amid claims he had been replaced by a Sudanese man named Jubril.
Addressing the nation he said "it is the real me I assure you" and assured he was not a "clone" after he came back from a number of health problems.
Meanwhile, a 70-year-old man was arrested in Nigeria for "insulting" President Buhari.
In a statement, cops said: "Any person found taking undue advantage of the social media to insult others will face the wrath of the law."
The Sun
Friday, May 1, 2020
Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen dies aged 79
He was 79.
The Afrobeat sound, which rose to prominence in Nigeria in the 1970s, combined organ riffs with West African drum patterns and brass instruments.
Allen's drumming was a key part of the rhythmic structure that underpinned the fusion of jazz, funk and West African melodies.
Allen died on Wednesday evening in Paris of a heart attack, National Public Radio (NPR) cited his manager Eric Trosset as saying on Thursday.
He lived in the Paris suburb Courbevoie.
"Farewell Tony! Your eyes saw what most couldn't see. You are the coolest person on Earth! As you used to say, 'There is no end'," Trosset said in a tribute posted on Facebook.
Kuti, who died in 1997, once said that "without Tony Allen, there would be no Afrobeat".
In later years, Allen worked with a broad range of artists, including musician Brian Eno who referred to Allen "perhaps the greatest drummer who has ever lived".
Allen recorded more than 30 albums with Kuti and his group, Africa '70, which fused jazz, funk and African traditional singing.
The songs were usually more than 10 minutes long and Kuti's lyrics were often diatribes against corruption, authoritarian African leaders and Nigeria's military regimes.
"We don't know the exact cause of death," Trosset said, adding it was not linked to the coronavirus. "He was in great shape, it was quite sudden. I spoke to him at 1pm [11:00 GMT], then two hours later he was sick and taken to Pompidou hospital where he died."
Al Jazeera
Nigeria Reports Highest Single-Day COVID-19 Cases
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported the highest figure of COVID-19 cases recorded in a day.
In a late-night tweet on Thursday, the agency revealed that a total of 204 new infections were reported across the country – the peak since the beginning of the outbreak in late February.
According to the health agency, Kano State also reported the highest number of infections in a single day, with 80 new cases.
Similarly, Lagos record 45 new infections, with 12 in Gombe, nine each in Bauchi and Sokoto, seven in Borno and Edo, as well as six cases in Ogun State.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) also had four new cases, as well as Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa, there were three more infections in Kaduna, two each in Oyo, Delta and Nasarawa, while Ondo and Kebbi states have one case each.
As of 11:50pm on Thursday, the total number of cases in Nigeria rose from 1,728 to 1,932.
The number of infected persons who lost the battle against COVID-19 also increased to 58, following the death of seven more patients.
On the good side, 12 more COVID-19 patients have been discharged following their full recovery from the disease.
204 new cases of #COVID19 reported;
80-Kano
45-Lagos
12-Gombe
9-Bauchi
9-Sokoto
7-Borno
7-Edo
6-Rivers
6-Ogun
4-FCT
4-Akwa Ibom
4-Bayelsa
3-Kaduna
2-Oyo
2-Delta
2-Nasarawa
1-Ondo
1-Kebbi
11:50pm 30th April- 1932 confirmed cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria
Discharged: 319
Deaths: 58
The patients were discharged from the isolation centres in Lagos, bringing the number of persons that have recovered so far in the state to 199.
According to a tweet by the spokesman for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Mr Gboyega Akosile, the recovered persons include nine males and three females and one of them is a foreign national.
Six of the patients were released from the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, five from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, and one from Ibeju-Lekki.
This brings the total number of COVID-19 patients that have been discharged across the country to 319.
ChannelsTV
In a late-night tweet on Thursday, the agency revealed that a total of 204 new infections were reported across the country – the peak since the beginning of the outbreak in late February.
According to the health agency, Kano State also reported the highest number of infections in a single day, with 80 new cases.
Similarly, Lagos record 45 new infections, with 12 in Gombe, nine each in Bauchi and Sokoto, seven in Borno and Edo, as well as six cases in Ogun State.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) also had four new cases, as well as Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa, there were three more infections in Kaduna, two each in Oyo, Delta and Nasarawa, while Ondo and Kebbi states have one case each.
As of 11:50pm on Thursday, the total number of cases in Nigeria rose from 1,728 to 1,932.
The number of infected persons who lost the battle against COVID-19 also increased to 58, following the death of seven more patients.
On the good side, 12 more COVID-19 patients have been discharged following their full recovery from the disease.
204 new cases of #COVID19 reported;
80-Kano
45-Lagos
12-Gombe
9-Bauchi
9-Sokoto
7-Borno
7-Edo
6-Rivers
6-Ogun
4-FCT
4-Akwa Ibom
4-Bayelsa
3-Kaduna
2-Oyo
2-Delta
2-Nasarawa
1-Ondo
1-Kebbi
11:50pm 30th April- 1932 confirmed cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria
Discharged: 319
Deaths: 58
The patients were discharged from the isolation centres in Lagos, bringing the number of persons that have recovered so far in the state to 199.
According to a tweet by the spokesman for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Mr Gboyega Akosile, the recovered persons include nine males and three females and one of them is a foreign national.
Six of the patients were released from the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, five from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, and one from Ibeju-Lekki.
This brings the total number of COVID-19 patients that have been discharged across the country to 319.
ChannelsTV
Thursday, April 30, 2020
Anthony Joshua shows his class by sending necessities to Nigeria and pays tribute to NHS heroes fighting coronavirus
ANTHONY JOSHUA has yet again shown his class by sending much-needed basics to Nigeria - while also paying tribute to the NHS heroes fighting coronavirus.
The world heavyweight boxing champion, 30, has sent boxes of much-needed supplies to Nigeria having been prevented from visiting in person, as planned, due to coronavirus.Joshua has also teamed-up with Under Armour to send 2,000 products to NHS workers at Watford General Hospital
And he has also sent Under Armour clothing to Watford General, where he was born, to help hospital workers through this tough time.
In a clip posted on social media, Joshua could be heard narrating over a video of people in Nigeria collecting their "free gift" packages from the British boxing star.
Joshua said: "It's 2019 and I'm visiting Nigeria. I was planning on teaming up with some of the local community leaders to contribute to some of their events.
"But due to the global pandemic these plans have come to a halt.
"During this crisis, we thought it would be best to put some basic necessities together for some of the people who may need it.
"So here's to Nigeria. One love, people. And I'll see you soon."
In the clip, the locals piled praise on Joshua - who recently revealed how his time in Nigeria changed him for the better - for his selfless deed.
WAT A MAN
And Joshua has also revealed he has teamed up with sporting goods giants Under Armour to send 2,000 of their products to Watford General, the hospital in which he was born.
Items include HeatGear T-shirts which feel cool, dry and light, as well as its Recovery sleepwear and tracksuits to help make staff feel more comfortable after working long shifts.
In a video on Instagram, Joshua said: "I was born in Watford General and those that know me, know that Watford will forever run through my veins.
"I saw that Under Armour have been doing some great things globally supporting key workers during this pandemic.
"So I teamed up with Under Armour to support something near and dear to my heart.
By Dave Fraser
The Sun
The world heavyweight boxing champion, 30, has sent boxes of much-needed supplies to Nigeria having been prevented from visiting in person, as planned, due to coronavirus.Joshua has also teamed-up with Under Armour to send 2,000 products to NHS workers at Watford General Hospital
And he has also sent Under Armour clothing to Watford General, where he was born, to help hospital workers through this tough time.
In a clip posted on social media, Joshua could be heard narrating over a video of people in Nigeria collecting their "free gift" packages from the British boxing star.
Joshua said: "It's 2019 and I'm visiting Nigeria. I was planning on teaming up with some of the local community leaders to contribute to some of their events.
"But due to the global pandemic these plans have come to a halt.
"During this crisis, we thought it would be best to put some basic necessities together for some of the people who may need it.
"So here's to Nigeria. One love, people. And I'll see you soon."
In the clip, the locals piled praise on Joshua - who recently revealed how his time in Nigeria changed him for the better - for his selfless deed.
WAT A MAN
And Joshua has also revealed he has teamed up with sporting goods giants Under Armour to send 2,000 of their products to Watford General, the hospital in which he was born.
Items include HeatGear T-shirts which feel cool, dry and light, as well as its Recovery sleepwear and tracksuits to help make staff feel more comfortable after working long shifts.
In a video on Instagram, Joshua said: "I was born in Watford General and those that know me, know that Watford will forever run through my veins.
"I saw that Under Armour have been doing some great things globally supporting key workers during this pandemic.
"So I teamed up with Under Armour to support something near and dear to my heart.
By Dave Fraser
The Sun
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Video - Nigeria to gradually ease lockdown restrictions
Nigeria’s president said the country will begin a gradual easing of lockdown restrictions to curtail the spread of the coronavirus in the capital, Lagos, Abuja and Ogun States May 4. In a national broadcast late Monday, Muhammadu Buhari said he made the decision after reviewing the more than a four-week lockdown to allow the country's economy to operate and still keep a steady response in containing the virus.
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