Shocking Story Abot two siblings age 18 and 8yrs Who Have Never felt the Sun On Their Skin.

The story I'm about to tell sounds almost unreal, if I didn't have a first hand experience I probably would not have believed, I spoke to the parties involved so I know it is true.

If I told you that its possible for someone to be self isolated for the 18 years they lived on earth without seeing the outside world will you believe?
The story I'm about to tell is shocking, I just hope your jaws don't drop as you read it.

18 years ago Miss Redemption pepple was born to the family of mr and mrs Pepple. Her sister Loveth was born 8 years ago.
Redemption told a story that many people still find shocking......

READ HER👇👇
My name is Redemption pepple, I had never been to school or spoken to grown ups that are not my parents until few months ago when Apostle Chibuzor adopted me. My dad built a shack in a rural area, he selected a secluded part of Umuebule 4 town, Rivers state and built the small shack I had always called home. Beside the house was our church, my daddy was the pastor and I, my mum and sister where the only people that attended the church.
 For 18 years I, my sister and my mum stayed inside the one room we lived in without seeing the outside world. For 18 years I didn't know what a car looked like, what a television looked like, what a phone looked like, what ice cream tasted like, what a real light bulb looked like and what tarred road looked like. I speak good English because I was home schooled by my mum, she was a chartered accountant and it was her idea that we lived like this. Everyday, my dad went out to preach and do odd jobs, with the paltry sum he got he was able to take care of us in the little way he could afford. Daddy was the one who went to market, fetched water and did everything that involved stepping out of our one room.
I remember few times during the rainy season, flood came into our home. The water was so big that is got to my waist. Immediately, my dad built a structure with wood high above the ground, on that structure we slept, ate, cooked and did everything, we pooped and urinated inside the water.
One morning my parents called I and my sister and told us that they wanted to fast, they told us that my dad wouldn't be going out and they would not be eating for the one month they would be fasting. Daddy had been saving for that period, the period of their fast. Before the fast he bought loads of foodstuffs so that I and sister wouldn't be hungry during their fast.
Our parents neither ate nor drank everyday, three weeks into the fast I noticed that my dad stopped moving and my mum was very weak. I felt fear, I told my mum that daddy didn't look ok. He was stiff and slept in a funny way. My mum reproached me immediately, she told me that my dad was meditating, that he was having an encounter with Jesus. Few days later mum stopped moving too, she lay in the same funny way that dad had been lying. My sister was scared but I told her that our parents were having an encounter with Jesus. I was naive, what did I know? For one month my parents slept, few weeks after they slept they had started to bloat, decay and smell. I had never seen a dying person, I didn't know what death meant so I stayed calm.
For one month I and my sister stayed with our dead parents, the stench was unbearable but we endured for fear of the outside world. My mum always sounded it to us that the world was evil, my thought was that a certain type of wild animal moved around. Our food finished and our parents weren't waking up, we were so hungry, for two days we hadn't eaten. I and my sister held our hands and stepped out of the door, we were so scared but we kept walking. For the first time, I saw people that were not out parents, they stared at us as we walked out from the Bush path, we must have looked like ghosts in their eyes.
I met a man and told him that I and my sister were hungry, I begged for food. He asked me where I lived and my weak fingers pointed to the direction of my home. He told us that only one man lived there and he was a loner, i told him that he was our dad, he lived with his children and his wife and he had been sleeping for many days without waking up. Suddenly a crowd started to gather, I was scared, I had never seen so much people, my sister was shaking too. The crowd followed us home and screamed when they saw the body of our decayed parents, they called the police and the police was shocked at the stories the villagers told, thesame story I am telling you right now. I and my sister where told that our parents where dead, the villagers and the police officers dug 2 shallow graves in front of our house and buried my parents. I was confused, I wondered why they were covering my parents with sand but what could I do? I could only cry.
The police locked our home, handed the keys to me and took I and my sister away in a van, they kept staring at us and muttering within themselves. They asked us if we had any other relatives but of course our answer was no, our mum talked about her sister and brother but we never got to meet them. All we knew was that we are from kuruma in Bonny, and our family name is pepple.

Our case was unique, it was rare. We were taken to the home of Apostle Chibuzor Gift Chinyere, the general Overseer of omega power Ministries who asked them to bring us. In Apostle Chibuzor's home I met many other children like me, at first the other kids thought we were weird. We couldn't relate properly but as time went by we started to associate.
It's been months since I was out of prison, for the first time I went to school, ate icecream, saw kids like me, entered into a car, surfed the internet and saw a smart phone.
Let me tell you a secret, when my big daddy got me a phone I tried the finger print lock and it didn't work. My hands were so soft, I barely had finger prints because for 18 years i had barely used my hands. It was not until till few months later that I was able to use my finger print lock. The other kids said that my skin shun like the sun and was so smooth, well I know they said the truth for a while ago, my skin had never felt the sun ray for the 18years I lived on earth.
This few months in Apostle Chibuzor's house has been the best days of i and my sisters lives, I had always known that something was missing, now I feel complete. I and my sister go to school everyday, I am in ss1 and my sister in primary 3, school is a piece of cake because our chartered accountant mum taught us every subject including English.

My new daddy says I will be going abroad to further my education, infact he promised a trip to europe. In few months I went from a girl who never saw the world to a girl who loved nature. I can't stop staring at trees, the sun and my environment whenever I'm opportuned to be outside.
I miss my parents but I don't miss the prison I used to call home. I love my new home, my new friends and my new daddy Apostle Chibuzor. I feel like a hero because my daddy is building a school in the area where i used to live so that poor people like my parents can send their children to the school at no charge at all. Because of the school my family would never be forgotten in Umuebule 4.
My name is Redemption Pepple, I am redeemed and this is my story.

©Laura Ezinne Idika.

Racism Takes the Life of Another Blackman George Floyd in the United States of America.

I greatly condemn the way and manner George Floyd was killed.

Racism in the western world today is synonymous to the tribalism we face in a country like ours. A country where a certain tribe believe they are better than the other tribes that exist.

Some of us condemning the act that led to the death of George Floyd believe that their tribe is unique as a result of political positions, financial status, demographic distribution, geographical location, land mass, language, culture etc and for that should be revered.

You!! Yes You!! I'm not pointing fingers, you all know yourselves, search within you and know where to draw the line, where to stop!! We all cant continue like this.

This man died because of the colour of his skin, because he isn't white! Should a black man leave his country and become a wanderer looking for love and acceptance as a result of the hate and animosity directed at him?

Should an Igbo/Yoruba/Hausa man leave his country because the rest of the tribes refuse to accept him and allow him join them in nation building?

Let's build a better world where there's TOGETHERNESS, PEACE and above all LOVE.

RIP George Floyd, may God comfort your family and the rest of the Black Community.

Do You Wish to Invest in my Business? Please Watch this Video.

For people who would like to know more about my company, watch this short video I made. It'll tell you about my company but not in its entirety though. This is just an 'appetizer'

I learnt how to make videos amongst other skills for free from a wonderful coach, you can surf online and see so many websites offering packages like this for free.

I've been learning some skills to promote my business, some paid and some free. I can also apply these skills in other areas of my day to day hustle.

What effort have you made towards learning that skill that you so desire? Do you want to be a game changer or it's just going to be business as usual? Spice up your business with one or two skills, DARE TO BE DIFFERENT.

How To Stay Winning As An Entrepreneur

How To Stay Winning As An Entrepreneur

(1)Keep learning better ways on how to improve your products or services: learn more, be more, have more and do more.

Understand your personality, and work accordingly, don't bother about copying others, be an original version of yourself.

You need to be focused, committed and hard working to stay winning.

(2) Deliver Massive Value: Value and how you deliver your values determines your income.

There are 4 income factors that determines how much penny you earn.

Demand
Supply
Quality
Quantity

Demand :How much the marketplace want your product, offer hot selling products and you stay winning.

Supply : how readily available is your product else where and how much of your products is in the market already.

Quality :the higher the quality in relation to price the higher your value.

Quantity : how much (quantity) of your products and services can you deliver. You must deliver your value to a lot of people to stay winning. One way to do this especially those in services is to clone yourself, that is hire others to work for you. You can also offer products of your services like teaching, e-book, webinar, coaching etc.

I hope you get value, let's share more thoughts in the comment section and let me know if you will implement.

Learning Process of Becoming a Professional in Your field of Interest.

Your Associations, Your Productivity.

 Jim Rohn in his book talked about the Law of Association that says you’ll become
the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

You’ll think how they think, act how they act, talk how they talk, and earn how they earn. If you think about it and observe the people around you, you'll come to believe that this law is real. You can’t fight it.

I’ve done three things when it dawned on me that my association greatly affects my productivity as a person.

First, I’ve disassociated with the people who were toxic to my life, they bring you down at any given opportunity they. This isn’t an easy decision, but it’s an important one. Some people will keep you down permanently.

Second, I’ve limited my associations with negative people or people who weren’t helping me grow in the direction of my dreams. They never see anything great in your ideas. Negative people have a problem to every solution! I’ve just learned to spend less time with those people and more time on positive influences.

                     (Picture credit: Web)

And third, I’ve worked to expand my associations with people who can help me become a better person and a better professional. If you’re trying to learn to become an expert in any field of your choice especially the Network Marketing Profession, it make sense to find a way to spend more time with the people who have the skills you’re looking for.

If this is a little too stressful to think about when you’re looking at the five people you’re spending your time with
right now, here’s a little tip: About every six months, one of the people in your five will change. They’ll move, get a new job, start a relationship, end a relationship—something will happen. The secret is, when that happens, choose very wisely when you’re thinking about who’s going to take their place. Most people don’t think about this at all. They just let the next person fall into that place. That’s a big mistake. Find someone
who will push you, who will criticize you constructively. Find someone who will inspire you!!

Personal Branding; and the Use of Social Media to Scale Up.

There's a lot going on in the Business 'sphere'. A lot of people dont know how to go about their various businesses, how to reach out to prospective buyers, partners or investors? I'll take us through "Personal Branding" and the use of social media to scale up.

Personal Branding ;

Ask yourself these questions ....

1. What sets you apart from others ?
-what is your zone of genius. Something you show up powerfully in?

2. What lights you up ?
-passions
-inspirations. It could be your job, family, politics, business etc.

3. What can you effortlessly talk about that can add value to someone else ? Something you can talk about and enjoy talking.

Answering those 3 questions is a great starting point to deciding on what route to take on social media to start attracting more people to you.

You can talk about what you are passionate about and then throw in some posts around running your biz and how it allows you to earn extra income.

Here are a few tips to better branding on social media.

 1.  AVOID posting about your business all the time on your timeline. People are immune to your 'come and join' messages and people don’t come on social media to BUY/JOIN. They will buy from you if they like you, and see you as an authentic person not a walking billboard for your company

2. Think of a way you can add value to your audience everyday. Put smile on their faces with a post, a picture, a meme, a live video...something that will entertain, inspire or educate someone else - and do it CONSISTENTLY.

3. Be real. It’s very simple. Be you. The real you. People can smell “fake” a mile away. Some will like you, others won’t, but you don’t have to be everyone’s cup of tea to make an impact and build a massive thriving business.

*Please stop insulting /ridiculing people's situation in a bid to join your business. Successful people didn't get to where they are now by insulting people.

Imagine yourself as a prospect and think, will you join someone who is making fun of your situation and the person that shows concern and empathy?

Be human first, attract people to you, offer a solution, show empathy and then present your business like a pro

Use more of attraction marketing rather than direct marketing.

Learn to tell stories. If you must talk about a product or opportunity let it be accompanied by a story.

Please avoid long stories especially if you're just starting out.

How To Handle Your Business/Investments by Way of Clarity; Paving your Way for a Better Outcome.

Have you ever felt that the whole universe is conspiring against you?

You seem to be doing everything right in your online business but still isn't seeing the desired results ?

I know that feeling.

Now What if same universe begin to conspire with you to make everything happen just the way you want?

Awesome right ?

DO YOU WANT TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE ?  BOOM, I'M IN

That was my idea of clarity in the beginning of my online business journey...

I wanted to work with everyone,and do whatever it will take to sell to them or get them into my team.

I didn't take the time to ask myself the basic questions

Who, What, When, How, WHY

and guess what?!

I didn't make as much  money as I wanted 

Instead, I found myself desperate, stressed, overwhelmed and exhausted

I was putting in all of this effort with very little  to show for it

Unfortunately, this is how many of us start out at first .

....and I want you to change that!

I figured out the secret and it has made ALL the difference

CLARITY

Yes it is that simple

Who do you want to serve?

What human problem do you have solution to?

Who is your target audience and where do they hang out ?

Are you in the same community as them?

Are you interacting and networking with them?

And more ....

A concise answer to  these will give you more CLARITY as to WHO and HOW to go about your business on this online space .

Helping and empowering busy moms like me to set up and grow a profitable business online without sacrificing family time, doing what they're already doing  is my passion.

What is your passion that you can turn into money?

Parenting and How to Instill Discipline in a Child.

Parenting and how to instill discipline in a child. What are the ways we can instill discipline without yelling or smacking a child?

I have a friend who woke up one morning and concluded within herself not to tell for the whole of that day.

Her kids were in their usual element, she was close to yelling then smacking but she held back because she gave herself a challenge.

This wasn't just any challenge, her kids were becoming headstrong and even yelled back at their mom or anyone who yelled at them so she decided to make a conscious effort to stop and instill discipline without yelling or smacking.

Another mother said she has also stopped yelling at her kids. This was because her 3 year old daughter yelled at everything, even the dogs and her baby brother, she knew she had to change. Till date people are surprised

that she can instill discipline and not yell. She simply takes away their privileges amongst other things.

Please let us know your own parenting method in the comment section and how you instill discipline in your children. Worthy of note is that food isnt a child's privilege because we need our children to grow with all the essential nutrients needed for growth.

Identifying Opportunities and Creating Wealth During this Lockdown and After.

Only few out of majority understands that it takes money to make money, same way it takes grains to grow grains 🌽 🌽

Every single change in our economy creates new opportunities and possibilities for the creative ones to move ahead faster than the average person, because they see opportunities in everything.

Investing is a technique of building wealth, but it's not only for the wealthy or Influentials.

Anyone can start investing, and in the digital world, various flexible vehicles make it easy to begin with small amounts, and building a portfolio eventually.

In fact, what differentiates investing from gambling is that it takes time, nuturing and it requires patience.

One of the goals that we all have in common is that we all want to be financially independent.

We all want to have enough money so that we never have to worry about money again.

You want to build a financial fortune around yourself.

You want to make a high income, get out of debt, put money in the bank and have the ability to do the things you want without being bothered about the costs.

The only question is, “are you going to do it or not?

If you are going to do it, Stop procrastinating and start facing your fears.

It takes only the courageous mind to create an everlasting wealth.

STOP WAITING, START BUILDING, SUCCESS SURELY AWAITS AT THE OTHER END.

381 new cases of COVID-19 recorded in Nigeria - 183 in Lagos alone

381 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Nigeria on Thursday, May 7, 2020. 

According to Nigeria Center for Disease Control NCDC, out of the 381 new cases of COVID-19, 183 were recorded in Lagos, 55 in Kano, 44 in Jigawa, 19 in Zamfara, 19 in Bauchi, 11 in Katsina, 9 in Borno, 8 in Kwara, 7 in Kaduna, 6 in Gombe, 5 in Ogun, 4 in Sokoto, 3 in Oyo,  3 in Rivers, 2 in Niger, 1 in Akwa Ibom, 1 in Enugu and  1 in Plateau. 

Nigeria now has 3526 confirmed cases of COVID-19. 601 patients have been discharged from various Isolation centers across the country, while 107 deaths have been recorded.

Mercy Johnson-Okojie and Hubby Welcome Their Fourth Child, a Baby Girl

Mercy Johnson-Okojie and her hubby, Prince Odi Okojie, have welcomed their fourth child, a baby girl.


The Nollywood actress gave birth to their baby at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center in Maryland, USA today May 4. Her hubby who shared the good news online, said the baby has been christined Divine-Mercy Ehinomen Okojie.

''Every Good and Perfect gift is from God. The wait is finally Over, Please share in Our Joy as we announce the arrival of Our Daughter.
Divine-Mercy Ehinomen Okojie.''

Mercy and Prince got married in 2011 aand they have three children already, two girls and a boy. The baby sure looks like Mercy Johnson .....Congrats to them!

Waste to Wealth; Making Fortune From Recycling.

A lot of youths are transforming waste management into profitable ventures. One of them is Mrs. Olamide Ayeni-Babajide, the founder, Pearl Recycling.

She started the company in 2016 after she noticed the impact of wastes on the environment.

In 2012, she travelled to United Arab Emirates (UAE) for an official duty, where she bought a wall décor. On closer examination, Ayeni-Babajide found that the beautiful object was made from corn husks. It caught her fancy.

From then, she began to think of what to do with wastes, how to empower women, build a product from waste of international standard and keep the environment clean. Two years later, she started a waste recycling business as a hobby. She eventually went into it fully in 2016.

She uses everything from tyres, bottles, newspapers, magazines, straws, and plastic cutlery to wood, unused CD tapes and even sea-shells and turn them into tables, chairs, and home décor, among others to beautify homes and offices.

She prefers the Ottoman Table. Made from recycled tyres, the object is reportedly one of the company’s most popular items. She makes eco-friendly products, such as panelled mirrors and decorative furniture from items like wood, straws and other materials that people have thrown away.

To help the society, she is equipping Nigerians with the skills to identify valuable discarded waste and build businesses out of them. So far, she has trained over 250 women.

Another woman changing lives is Olabanke Banjo, Creative Director, Cyrus45 Factory, a recycling company that transforms used vehicle tyres into furniture and beautiful artworks.

In 2016, she was staying with her elder sister in Lagos, where she saw their neighbour trying to get rid of a huge pile of tyres. Immediately, the thought about how to make things out of waste came. Like every startup, the first few months were challenging.

After overcoming a lot of hurdles, the business is now a success story. So far, Cyrus45factory has upcycled about 500 tyres. One of Cyrus45factory’s goals is to minimise the damage caused by old tyres.

The Founder, Greenhill Recycling Limited, Mrs Mariam Lawani, is an educator turned waste manager. She started from her house garage. She creates value from waste. These include plastic bottles, water sachets, paper, aluminum and cartons.

The startup encourages residents to keep their household wastes, such as clean empty plastic bottles, aluminum beverages, can, and old newspaper for recycling.

Raymond Dokpesi Snr And 7 Family Members Test Positive For Coronavirus

The founder of DAAR Communications Plc, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi and his daughter-in law along with six members of his family have tested positive for Coronavirus.

This is coming 3 days after his son and Chairman of the board of the company, Raymond Dokpesi Jnr also tested positive for the virus.

A test conducted by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, on the Dokpesi family came out positive for eight members of the family.

High Chief Dokpesi and the affected family members have been evacuated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, to the isolation centre at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Gwagwalada where his son is already receiving treatment.

Speaking on Friday shortly after the arrival of the NCDC Ambulance, High Chief Dokpesi said he is feeling well. “I am of quite ok, i feel very well”, he said, an indication that his condition is still asymptotic.

On Monday, the Chairman of the DAAR Board was the first to test positive for Coronavirus after symptoms which he said were similar to malaria. But following persistent bouts of cough, he decided to reach out to the NCDC. His test later turned out positive.

Contact tracing immediately commenced with his family members including his father, High Chief Dokpesi and members of his household.

The test was later extended to senior management and members of staff who had been in close contact with the company’s index case.

The FCT Health Authorities had also carried out an immediate fumigation of the entire DAAR Headquarters building sitting aloft the Kpaduma hills in Asokoro District Of Abuja.

Lagos State Government Fresh Guidelines for Public Transport Operations in the State

The Lagos State Government on Thursday issued fresh guidelines for public transport operations in the state as part of the controlled measures to ease the lockdown over COVID-19 pandemic.

The state Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde, released the guidelines at a news conference in Lagos.

According to him, public transport operations within the state shall be between the hours of 6.00a.m and 7.00p.m daily from May 4.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new guidelines bring a slight difference to the Federal Government directive that ordered 8.00p.m to 6.00a.m curfew in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja as from May 4.

Oladeinde told newsmen that the guidelines should be followed by commuters and transport operators in the state until further notice.

He reiterated that inter-state operation had been suspended until further notice, except for essential services.

According to him, the operations of commercial motorcycles, popularly known as “Okada”, has been suspended indefinitely across the state.

The commissioner said that commuters were mandated to wear face mask at all times, sanitise their hands with alcohol base sanitisers or wash their hands with soap and running water before and after each trip.

”All transport operators/companies are expected to disinfect their vehicles, parks and garages regularly and continuously in collaboration/supervision of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources to ensure standards and safety of the disinfectant being used.

“All transport operators/companies are expected to have at the entrance of their respective parks handwashing equipment with running water and alcohol-based sanitisers.

“Disinfectant companies are to be guided by the Environmental Health Unit of the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.

“Operators are expected to have alcohol-based Sanitisers in their vehicles for both drivers, conductors and passengers,” Oladeinde said.

According to him, motor parks and garages must not be overcrowded with passengers and commercial activities at any point in time.

He said that social distancing was required for passengers queuing to board buses.

“NCDC recommends that at least 2m (5feet) distance is required between people; operators are not allowed to over crowd/over load their vehicles at this point in time.

“All public buses should be 60 per cent capacity (i.e for busees, one passenger with driver in front seat, two passengers on the back rows each and two passengers for tricycle),” he added.

Oladeinde said trucks and individual transporting foods and other raw materials into the state must comply with the guidelines.

He said that the driver and other individuals on such vehicle must always use face marks and an alcohol based hand sanitisers.

Oladeinde said that all vehicles carrying foods and other agricultural produce in and out of Lagos must not carry passengers more than seven on board.

According to him, vehicles used for the transportation of food items and other services must be disinfected before gaining access into the state’s border and when leaving, under strict monitoring by relevant government agencies.

Wearing a Mask: Dos and Don'ts.

Since the mask has been made compulsory in some parts of Nigeria, the image above sums up the Dos and Don'ts of wearing a mask. Let's do it right to record a huge success and defeat this virus.

COVID-19 Case Update

Update on the recorded cases of corona virus in Nigeria as 28th of April, 2020.

With these number of cases on Lagos, is possible that they conduct more tests than on any other state or they just refuse to obey the lockdown order? Pls tell us what you think in the comment section.

Face masks made of clothes don't prevent you from contracting disease, they only reduce spread of infection- NAFDAC

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said the use of non-medical face masks, which include self-made or commercial masks or face covers made of clothes, only reduce and not prevent spread of diseases.

The agency in a statement released today said face masks made with cotton materials are more effective. The statement in part reads  

Non-medical face masks include self-made or commercial masks or face covers made of cloth, other textiles or other materials such as paper. They are not standardized and are not intended for use in healthcare settings or by healthcare professionals.

They serve to limit spread of droplets and offer some measure of protection to those around you.

The material of construction is usually cloth(textile fabric), non-woven wadding, or  paper-like materials. For these Barrier Masks, 100% cotton is preferred though, polyester, linen or  knit fabric can be used.

Simple test: If wearer can put off a flame from  a cigarette lighter that  is placed in front of the wearer, the mask is protective enough

Barrier face masks do not prevent you from contracting disease  but, they have been found to contribute to reduce spread of infections when used widely in conjunction with other measures.  Such measures include social distancing, not touching the face, eyes or mouth, washing of hands with soap for 20 secs or use of alcohol based hand  sanitizers.

These face masks are recommended to be washed daily and preferably should be a double layer of fabric to increase the absorbency and effectiveness.

It must be noted that several washes, drying and stretching of the mask over time reduce the effectiveness of the mask.'' the statement read

The agency came out with the clarification as different state governments and the Federal government have announced compulsory use of face mask as the nation continues to fight against the spread of COVID-19.

Unimaginable Mass Job Losses Loom In Nigeria

As this week may yet witness rise in new cases of the COVID-19 pandemic that has significantly challenged the wit of government’s officials in recent weeks, there are indications that em­ployers of labour, after the crisis, may not be smiling when it comes to making the hard decision to part ways with an unimaginable number of their employ­ees, going by insight from economic and corporate data.

While the unusual circumstance of negative threat of mass sack of workers may not be good news to workers, many players in the industry say it is an indi­cation of more bleak days ahead, and the years of government not creating an enabling environment for investment would not be corrected in a period of weeks or even months.
Timothy Olawale, the Director Gen­eral of Nigeria Employers Association (NECA), in a telephone discussion with DAILY INDEPENDENT, argued that while discussions about how to resolve the ongoing global economic crisis ac­companying COVID-19 remain largely unresolved, manufacturers, financial experts are keeping their eyes on eco­nomic and earnings news that emanat­ed from National Bureau of Statistics as inflation report for march hit 12.26% from the previous position of 12.20% to record the highest in 23 months.

He said: “The hard business deci­sions by employers of labour to part ways with employees are seldom un­avoidable. If the needful is not done now, unimaginable mass job losses loom in Nigeria because ‘a stitch in time’, they say, ‘saves nine’.
This call for policy measures, ac­cording to Mr. Timothy, is necessary for government to address the consis­tent rising consumer price index for straight eight months, especially now that coronavirus outbreak and lock­downs globally and domestically have triggered prices of goods and services due to panicky shopping and buying.
“Government of countries, in re­sponse to COVID-19, have taken steps to bolster key sectors and lessen the so­cio-economic impact of the pandemic. Measures include economic assistance packages, tax moratoriums, extended deadlines, social security contributions, as well as wage subsidies, loans and guarantees for workers, and Nigeria is no exception,” he said.

He added: “To save jobs in Nigeria, more direct intervention such as: direct wage or income support, wage subsi­dies, tax credits or tax deferrals, short-term work schemes, moratoriums on loan payments and the establishment of a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, where government pays up to 60% of private sector salaries until June as long as workers are not laid off, as done in other climes i.e. UK, France, and Den­mark, would reduce the negative impact on businesses and slow the rate of job loss.”

Olawale, who argued that the dev­astating effects of the long-standing inclement environment for doing busi­ness in Nigeria have been over flogged, said: “This has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and the follow-up effect of the unproductive lockdown which understandably was necessary to rein in the blight and protect lives.
“With the lockdown leading to shut­down of manufacturing, businesses, and movement, many companies will not be able to pay salary; this will affect purchasing power of Nigerians there­by leading to supply and demand shock that needs urgent policy measures from the government and policy makers to address the dwindling national and in­dustrial productivity,” he said.
According to NECA’s Director Gen­eral, “While businesses remain pas­sive and unproductive with attendant mass losses of revenue, overhead costs remain. Wages obligations to workers and several statutory payments without respite remain constant.
“The truth is that five weeks of the economic and business shutdown has overstretched the limits and business­es are beginning to buckle under the weight of the burden it is carrying with­out corresponding productivity from workers and necessary support from government. This is the reality today.”
He, however, explained that the government had spoken well in urg­ing businesses to continue to bear the brunt without recourse to staff ratio­nalisation and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), as the most representative body for or­ganised businesses and employers of labour in Nigeria, had equally added its voice by advising its members to contin­ue to keep the full complements of its workers for as long as it is bearable, and as far as economic indices will permit.
Balancing Protection Of Lives With Economic Interests
Comrade Ayuba Wabba, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in his response to what is ahead of the workers, especially with respect to post lockdown socio-economic response, said “we can sustain, enhance, and conclusively win the fight against Covid-19, particularly on the strength of tripartism”.
Wabba agreed that balancing the protection of lives with economic inter­ests should, ordinarily, not be difficult for the government.
He, however, said: “While protection of life should take precedence, the need to protect the economic foundation of the nation cannot be discounted as the economy will ultimately sustain life. While the government takes decisive steps to protect lives, efforts should also be made to keep productive activities going.
Government’s Action On Stimulus Package And the questions
While a lot has been said on the in­tervention of the Federal Government and various coordinated efforts of other stakeholders, Comrade Quadri Olaleye, the President of Trade Union Congress (TUC), noted that more decisive action on stimulus to businesses need to be taken.
He, however, said: “The announced stimulus, to a large extent, has not ad­dressed the critical needs of businesses that will guarantee sustainability and protection of jobs.”
Relaxation Of Lockdown With Regulations To Protect Lives
Omorodion Ambrose, Chief Re­search Officer, InvestData Consulting Limited, in his chat with our correspon­dent, emphasised that the global eco­nomic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, now projected to be the worst recession since the Great Depression by the IMF, would bring about a reconsid­eration of long-standing need to safe­guard or protect jobs in the country, both in the interim and in the long term after the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said: “While it is desirable for the lockdown to be relaxed and not totally removed, it is important to state that mismanagement of the lockdown re­laxation process might spell doom for the gains already achieved.

ADDRESS BY H.E. MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THE CUMULATIVE LOCKDOWN ORDER OF LAGOS AND OGUN STATES AS WELL AS THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY ON COVID- 19 PANDEMIC AT THE STATE HOUSE, ABUJA MONDAY, 27th APRIL, 2020

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 three million confirmed cases of COVID nineteen have been recorded globally with about nine hundred thousand recoveries. Unfortunately, some two hundred thousand people have also diedpassed 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 adopt and adapt to these new global realities on a daily basis. This evening, I will present the facts as they are and explain our plans for the coming month knowing fullyfully aware that some key variables and assumptions may change in the coming days or weeks.

6. Exactly two weeks ago, there were three hundred and twenty three confirmed cases in 20 States and the Federal Capital Territory.

7. As at this morning, Nigeria has recorded one thousand two hundred and seventy-three cases across 32 States and the FCT. Unfortunately, these casesthis includes 40 deathsfatalities.

8. I will useam using this opportunity to express our deepest condolences to the families of all Nigerians that have lost their lives loved ones as a result of the COVID nineteen Pandemic. This is our collective loss and we share in your grief.

9. Initial models predicted that Nigeria will record an estimated two thousand confirmed cases in the first month after the index case.

10. This means that despite the drastic 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 Nigerian 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 the State Government and the FCT with support from NCDC is hasve established several sample collection centers in Lagos and the FCT. 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. At this point, I will 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.

15. Over ten thousand healthcare workers have been trained. For their protection, additional personal protective equipment have been distributed to all the states. Although we have experienced logistical challenges, we remain committed to establish a solid supply chain process to ensure these heroic professionals are can work safely and are properly equipped.

16. 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. We have also procured insurance cover for five thousand frontline health workers. At this point, I must commend the insurance sector for their support in achieving this within a short period of time.

17. 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.

18. 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.

18.19. I have directed the Central Bank of Nigeria and other financial institutions to make further plans and provisions for financial stimulus packages for small and medium scale enterprises. We recognise the critical role that they play in Nigeria’s economy.

19.20. Our Security Agencies continue to rise to the challenge posed by this unusual situation. While we feel deeply concerned about isolated security incidents involving hoodlums and miscreants, I want to assure all Nigerians that your safety and security remains our primary concern especially in these exceedingly difficult and uncertain times. As we focus on protecting lives and properties, we will not tolerate any human rights abuses by our security agencies. The few reported incidences are regrettableregrettable, and I want to assure you that the culprits will be brought to justice.

20. I urge all Nigerians to continue to cooperate and show understanding whenever they encounter security agents. Furthermore, for their protection, I have instructed the personnel of the security agencies be provided with the necessary personal protective equipment for their own protection.
21.

21.22. As we continue to streamline our response in the epicenters of Lagos and the FCT, I remain am concerned about the unfortunate developments in Kano in recent days. Although an in-depth investigation is still ongoing, we have decided to deploy additional Federal Government human, material and technical resources to strengthen and support the State Government’s efforts. We will commence implementation immediately.

22.23. In Kano, and indeed many of other States that are recording new cases, preliminary findings show that such cases are mostly from interstate travel and emerging community transmission.

23.24. Drawing from these, I implore all Nigerians to continue to adhere strictly to the advisories published by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. These include rRegular hand washing, social physical distancing, wearing of face masks/coverings in public, avoidance of non-essential movement and travels and avoidance of large gatherings remain paramount.

24.25. Fellow Nigerians, for the past four weeks, most parts of our country have been under either Federal Government or State Government lockdowns. As I mentioned earlier, these steps were necessary and overall, have contributed to slowing down the spread of COVID nineteen in Nigeria.

25.26. However, such lock downs have also coame at a very heavy economic cost. Many of our citizens have lost their means of livelihoods. Many businesses have also shut down. No country can afford the full impact of a sustained lockdown while awaiting the development of vaccines or cures.

26.27. In my last address, I mentioned the Federal Government will develop strategies and policies that will protect lives while preserving livelihoods.

27.28. In these two weeks, the Federal and State Governments have jointly and collaboratively worked hard on thishow to balance the need to protect health while also preserving livelihoods, leveraging global best practice while keeping in mind our peculiar circumstances.

28.29. We looked atassessed how our factories, markets, traders and transporters can continue to function while at the same time respecting adhering to the NCDC guidelines on hygiene and social distancing.

29.30. We assessed how our children can continue to learn without compromising their health.

30.31. 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 centers.

31.32. Our goal was to develop implementable policies that will ensure our economy continues to function with while still maintaining our aggressive response to the COVID nineteen pandemic. These same difficult decisions are being faced by leaders around the world.

32.33. Based on the above and in line with the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on COVID nineteen, the various Federal Government committees that have reviewed socio-economic matters and the Nigeria Governors Forum, I have approved for a phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in FCT, Lagos and Ogun States effective from Saturday, 2nd May, 2020 at 9am.

33.34. 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.

34.35. The highlights of the new nationwide measures are as follows;
a. Selected businesses and offices can open from 9am to 6pm;
b. There will be an overnight curfew from 8pm to 6am. This means all movements are will be prohibited during this period except essential services;
c. There will be a ban on non-essential inter-state passenger travels until further notice;
d. There will be Ppartial and controlled interstate movement of goods and services will be allowed to allowfor the movement of goods and services from producers to consumers; and
e. 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 of on social and religious gathers shall remain in place. State Governments, corporate organisations and philanthropists are encouraged to support the production of cloth masks for citizens.

35.36. For the avoidance of doubt, the lockdown in the FCT, Lagos & Ogun States shall subsist remain in place until these new ones come into effect on Saturday, 2nd May 2020 at 9am.

36.37. The Presidential Task Force shall provide sector specific details and timing guidelines to allow for preparations by Governments, businesses and institutions.
37. The above are guidelines. State Governors may choose to amend adapt and expand based on their unique circumstances provided they maintain alignment with the guidelines issued aboveon public health and hygiene.
38.
38.39. These revised guidelines do will not apply for to Kano State. The total lockdown recently announced by the State Government shall remain enforced be enforced for the full duration. The Federal Government shall deploy all the necessary human, material and technical resources to support the State in controlling and containing the pandemic.

39.40. 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, be 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 remains paramount to our Government.

40.41. I will also recognize 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 has significantly contributed to the successes we have recorded to date. I will urge you all to please continue to create awareness on the seriousness of coronavirus among your worshippers and communities while appealing that they strictly comply with public health advisories.

41.42. I will 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.

42.43. I also wish to thank corporate organisations, philanthropists, the UN family, the European Union, friendly nations, the media and other partners that have taken up the responsibility of supporting our response.

43.44. 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 our citizens and residents.
39. I thank you for listening and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria

The Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu Kicks off #Maskup Lagos

The Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu kicks off the compulsory wearing of face mask henceforth to curb the further spreading of Covid-19.

He said the state government is currently producing about 3 million face masks for distribution to the vulnerable.

COVID-19 Cases in Nigeria Rises to 1273

The numbers are increasing despite the lockdow, are people flouting the lockdown directives? Are people taking this pandemic lightly?

Pls continue to stay home and stay safe.

No Evidence That COVID-19 Survivors Can’t Be Reinfected - WHO

The global death toll in the novel coronavirus pandemic soared past the grim 200,000 milestone on Sunday, as the World Health Organization warned against “immunity passports” for recovered patients, seen as a possible tool for countries preparing to re-open their economies.

The WHO opposes such “passports” because recovery from the virus might not protect a person from reinfection.

“There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from #COVID19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection,” the UN health body said in a statement.


Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world spent the second day of the Ramadan holy month out of mosques and avoiding large family meals to break the fast because of sequestration and social distancing policies.

And Australians and New Zealanders marked Anzac Day without the normal parades and public ceremonies to commemorate fallen soldiers. Instead, under social distancing policies, people held dawn vigils in front of their homes.



Even as governments from Sri Lanka to Belgium to the United States began moving in the direction of partial reopening, the COVID-19 pandemic still had nearly half of humanity under some form of lockdown or confinement.

Total cases around the world rose to 2.86 million and deaths mounted past the 200,000 mark, doubling since April 10, according to an AFP tally.

Europe, the hardest-hit region, has recorded 122,171 coronavirus deaths.

The US toll rose by 2,494 over the past 24 hours to hit 53,511 deaths. The number of coronavirus cases in the United States jumped by nearly 46,000 to 936,293 since Friday.

In Italy, the number of COVID-19 fatalities rose to 26,384; Spain 22,902, France 22,614 and the United Kingdom 20,319.

The world remained in wait as companies and governments raced to develop treatments and, eventually, a vaccine for the virus, which first surfaced in China in late 2019.


The WHO warned on Saturday that people who test positive and survive infection cannot be certain they will not be hit again by the coronavirus.

The warning came as some governments study measures such as “immunity passports” for those who have recovered as one way to get people back to work after weeks of economic shutdown.

People holding such a “passport” may tend to ignore public health advice, such as continuing to wear facemasks, assuming they are not a danger to themselves or others, the WHO said.


That is a particular worry as testing becomes more widespread, especially testing for coronavirus antibodies, whose presence indicate a person had previously contracted the virus and recovered.

“If I’ve already had corona then I’m not infectious,” said Berlin resident Lothar Kopp, hoping to test positive for antibodies as it could allow him to visit his elderly mother.

Germany has carried out tens of thousands of tests and other countries are also working on determining so-called levels of immunity.

Culled from Punchng

COVID-19: The President received a briefing on the COVID-19 situation from the Health Minister and the DG of NCDC.

Earlier today at the Presidential villa, the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari received briefing on Nigeria's COVID-19 situation from the Health minister Dr. Osagie Ehanire and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) DG, Dr. Chike Ihekweazu. Hopefully the outcome of the meeting will be made public tomorrow which may either be the end of the lockdown or an extension of it.

Lagos State Governor took delivery of six Ambulances, Respiratory masks, PPEs and other Saftey Equipments Donated by NNPC Group and IPPG To Combat Covid-19

The Governor of Lagos state Babajide Sanwo-Olu took delivery of six ambulances,respiratory masks, PPEs amongst other things donated by the NNPC Group and Independent Petroleum Producers Group. This is to support the efforts if the government in the fight against the deadly corona virus. The governor made this known via his Twitter handle.

"Today, on behalf of the South West States, I took delivery of six ambulances, respiratory masks, PPEs and other safety equipment donated by the @NNPCgroup and  Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG) to support our efforts to combat #COVID19 in the states."

Do you Need Another Stream of Income? Would You Like to Make Money Online and Offline? This Post is for You.

The first time my friend showed me an alert of 3.5M in a week, I was like how is that possible?😳 Today 3.5M is nothing cos I've seen alerts of 18M in a week.

Longrich unlike most other MLM companies is a multinational manufacturing company whose primary business is manufacturing patent for other world class multinationals. The likes of Addidas, Tesco, GSK etc. This they've been doing for over three decades, 34 years  now.

8 years ago, the Chairman Mr Xu came up with the idea of establishing an MLM department as his own way to give back to the society and support upcoming Entrepreneurs to build up required capital. So the MLM plartform in which we okay in was birthed. The concept behind it is to use word of mouth to get these products out to the end users and in the process share out 80% of  the profit made from the sales with the partners that made that happen at every level. The rest 20 % goes to Charity.

Now Longrich said you should come onboard and buy products of your choice at any entry level of your choice. Pick up your products, use or sell whichever works for you. Then tell other people around you, around your social network, around the world to also buy at various levels and we share profit with you and your entire team that made that happen.

Let me break it down to basic. I come onboard and introduce three people the first month to also buy products. I earn a commission based on the volume  what they bought. And it does not end there Then these three people also introduce three people to buy these products from which ever city or county they are, now I earn an even bigger commission while this people under me also earn. At this point I now have 13 people under my network even though I introduced only three . Imagine in a year, you manage to build a network of 3000 people directly and indirectly in your team. Let's assume in a particular month each one of them buys just a single toothpaste for family use, not to mention the new people that will join,   it means you've earned over 3000 points which will earn you 6 figures that month alone Now imagine, those that have 20,000 to 100,000 team members what their income will be like.

Longrich is just trying to be the household name for cosmetics and household care  in the world and they're getting there because they chose the most effective and cheapest form of advertising "Word of mouth".

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Nigerian Governors Agree on 14days Inter-state Lockdown.

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State Governors of the 36 States of the federation on Wednesday “unanimously” agreed to the implementation of an inter-State lockdown in the country over the next two weeks to mitigate the spread of the pandemic COVID-19 virus from State to State.

The governors, operating under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), reached the agreement after receiving briefing from the Governors of Lagos, Bauchi, Oyo and Ogun States who shared their experiences and lessons from the fight against COVID-19.

A communique issued by the NGF chairman and governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, at the end of the sixth COVID-19 teleconference meeting said only essential services would be permitted. State governors called for the decentralization of the COVID-19 response as the best chance of nipping the spread of the virus in communities with over 25 States now affected by the spread of the virus and increasing evidence of community transmission.

Members of the NGF also voiced serious concern over the rising spread of the virus among health workers and resolved to work with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to ensure that health workers are “adequately” provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) and are “constantly” trained on the use of protective gears.

This followed an update from the NGF Secretariat on the number of COVID-19 cases in the country. Governors also resolved to set up COVID-19 committees at the regional level, headed by their State Commissioners of Health in order to strengthen coordinated implementation of necessary public health recommendations across States.

Regional committees, the communique added, will continue to interface with the State Task Force Committees on COVID-19 already established in each State.

The NGF Chairman briefed the forum on the rapidly evolving situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and coordination efforts with the federal government, multilateral and bilateral partners, and the private sector through the Coalition against COVID-19 (CACOVID).

The forum held a minute’s silence in honour of all Nigerians who had lost their lives from coronavirus, especially health workers who were in the front lines of the epidemic. The NGF also congratulated the governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, who after nearly four weeks of testing positive and observing very strict medical regime, has now received two consecutive negative test results for the coronavirus.

Members also conveyed their condolence to President Muhammadu Buhari and the people of Borno State on the passing of the Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari, who passed away on April 17, 2020 in the line of duty to the country.

It would be recalled that President Buhari currently imposed lockdown in only the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos and Ogun States to halt the spread of the novel pandemic coronavirus.

Some of the States have taken similar measures to fight the deadly virus but there is no nationwide lockdown from the federal government.

Health experts say the country may be heading towards the need for nationwide lockdown to stop the virus. However, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, had earlier in the day denied proposing a national lockdown to tackle COVID-19 in the country.

Aliyu made the claim on Wednesday in Abuja, at the 17th joint national briefing of the PTF on COVID-19.

That came after the Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu hinted on Monday that President Buhari will make some very difficult decisions next week about the lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic. He said this in Katsina when he visited Governor Aminu Masari to see the state’s preparedness for COVID 19.

The audio of the discussion by the duo was obtained by our correspondent. Ihekweazu disclosed that the president was scheduled to join the governors’ forum teleconference meeting to discuss some of the decisions.

As at Tuesday 21 April, 2020, the official cases in the country stand at 782.

Culled from Dailypost.

We hope this goes a long way in containing this disease and hopefully Governors who are yet to have an isolation centre in their states will start making moves towards providing them.