Tuesday briefing: Is the federal government about to lockdown again?
What you need to know.
Good morning.
On the table is a discussion on whether Nigeria will move into lockdown mode, a warning by an intelligence agency and a controversial rail project.
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No lockdown in view, but . . .
The simple truth is, the federal government can’t afford a lockdown at this point. It doesn’t have the resources to support individuals and businesses which will be affected by a stalemate, and keeping the economy grinding is the only way to emerge quickly enough out of the current recession.
But a lockdown is not inevitable. If cases and deaths reach a certain point (no one knows what that point is), then the health costs will outweigh the economic and the government will have no choice but to shut down the country. On Monday, Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said the country was reaching “a critical level where our hospital capacity will no longer be able to cope with more serious COVID-19 cases and health workers will be forced to make tough decisions.”
For now, government officials are screaming their lungs out about the need for Nigerians to comply with the non-pharmaceutical guidelines released to control the pandemic. Wear a mask. Avoid large gatherings. Practise social distancing in public places. On Monday, the NCDC reported 1,244 new cases and three deaths.
Schools resumption: As Covid cases continue to rise, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said the federal government is reviewing its January 18 deadline for schools to resume.
Related: Registration for the National Identity Number resumed across the country on Monday but, according to Punch Newspaper, the crowds have not abated in some centres. The Minister of State for Health, Adeleke Mamora hinted on Monday that the exercise may be suspended but later took back his own words. The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has also hinted that train services may be suspended if users don’t comply with Covid protocols.
Extra: In a bid to ramp up testing for Covid, the federal government said it will roll out the use of Rapid Diagnostic Test-Kits (RDTs) next week in five tertiary health institutions in Abuja.
DSS raises alarm
One of the nation’s top intelligence agencies, the Department of State Services, believe there is a plot - sponsored by some persons in collaboration with external forces - to incite religious violence in several states across the country.
In response, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Afenifere and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) urged the DSS to do its job and go after those behind the plot.
Quote: “If they have uncovered such plot, why can’t they report those behind the plan to the police to prosecute them?” CAN’s General Secretary, Rev. Joseph Daramola, said. “If they have such dangerous information, they should be able to nab those behind it . . . they shouldn’t have issued a statement.”
Amotekun: The Oyo state government has defended the Western Nigeria Security Network over allegations of extrajudicial killings. “Why are some people weaponising ethnicity against AMOTEKUN’s onslaught in its war on criminals? Do they want to destroy it? They will fail,” said Jide Ajani, special adviser on media to Governor Seyi Makinde.
Crime: The police said it arrested a total of 21,296 criminals in 2020. But the Cable Newspaper reported that the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, was silent on the number of Nigerians killed due to insecurity.
The Niger rail project is on
There was an outrage late last year when it was announced that Nigeria was building a railway that would terminate in a neighbouring country, Niger. Well, the federal government has signed a memorandum of understanding with an engineering company for the construction of a $1.959 billion Kano to Maradi (in Niger) rail line project.
According to Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, the rail line, “besides developing freight and passenger transport as it will be integrated with road transport, will make a great contribution to the local economy as well as an important development in the social sector.”
FIRS: Meanwhile, the tax agency said the country lost about N5.4 trillion to tax evasion by multinationals between 2007 and 2017.
What else is happening?
Buratai: The army chief told new recruits they must be ready to be deployed anywhere to fight for the country, even to the dreaded Sambisa.
Adoke: The corruption trial of the former Attorney-General of the Federation was stalled on Monday due to his absence. His lawyer said he was stranded in the UAE where he had travelled to for medical check-up.
Rivers state: Residents of Bonny, a riverine community, took to the streets to lament incessant attacks and killings by criminals on their waterways.
NBS: According to the statistics agency, the number of Internet subscribers in the country grew by more than 5% to 151.52 million in the third quarter of 2020.
Facebook: The social media giant has shut down accounts linked to the Ugandan government days before a general election. It said the accounts were spreading fake news. The Ugandan government accused Facebook of being biased.
Ethiopia: The United Nations has said more than 101,000 people have been displaced by violence in the country’s western region.
US: Democrats have commenced impeachment processes against President Donald Trump for his role in last week’s deadly invasion of the Capitol.
And that’s the briefing for today. See you tomorrow.