Nigerian Government reacts to viral hydroxychloroquine video attributed to Nigerian physician

Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu - Director-General of the NCDC

CC™ Global News

Nigeria on Tuesday said it has not validated the use of hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19, an obvious reaction to the viral video of Nigerian-born physician, Dr. Stella Immanuel.

Immanuel, also a Christian preacher, claimed in the video that has gone viral worldwide that she has successfully treated more than 350 COVID-19 patients using hydroxychloroquine, Zinc and Zithromax.

Immanuel first made the claim on April 27 in a Twitter post in which she also showed support for American President Donald Trump’s backing for the use of chloroquine to treat the virus.

But Nigeria’s Ministry of Information and Nigeria Center for Disease Control, in identical messaging on Twiter, said the use of hydroxychloroquine is “only limited to clinical trials“.

“Some trial drugs show promising results but are yet to be validated for use,” NCDC said on Twitter on Tuesday. “In Nigeria, use of hydroxychloroquine is ONLY limited to clinical trials.”

The Lagos State Government said in April that its hospital treated many patients who suffered chloroquine poisoning in the wake of Trump’s endorsement of the drug in March. 

Immanuel doubled down on her April claim on Monday when she addressed the press after America's Frontline Doctors Summit in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. on Monday, July 27.

Hydroxychloroquine has long been used to treat malaria as well as other conditions such as lupus and arthritis.

It's used to reduce fever and inflammation, and the hope has been that it can also inhibit the virus that causes COVID-19.

Apart from Trump, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has also claimed hydroxychloroquine could prevent or treat COVID-19.

"I'm here because I have personally treated over 350 patients with COVID," Immanuel said in the video.

"Patients that have diabetes, patients that have high blood pressure, patients that have asthma, old people... I think my oldest patient is 92...87-year-olds. And the result has been the same. I put them on hydroxychloroquine, I put them on zinc, I put them on Zithromax, and they're all well."

She said she put herself, her staff and other doctors she knew on hydroxychloroquine for prevention of COVID-19. "We see patients, 10 to 15 COVID patients, every day," she said.

"We give them breathing treatments. We only wear a surgical mask. None of us has gotten sick. It works."

FIMC, however, asked Nigeria to take responsibility and avoid self-medication.

Tiger Woods' struggles continue at the Memorial Tournament as his back problems resurface

CC™ GolfStream

Tiger Woods accepted he was fortunate to still be in the Memorial Tournament as he reflected on his improved fortunes in the third round.

A difficult second round at Muirfield Village had seen the five-time Memorial champion, who opened the event with a 71, sign for a four-over-par 76.

After narrowly avoiding missing the cut, Woods was back under par with a one-under 71 on Saturday, improving to two over for the tournament.

The 15-time major winner did not suffer with the same movement issues he encountered the day before as he recorded four birdies and three bogeys in humid Ohio conditions.

Woods recovered nicely after finding water and dropping a shot on the third hole.

"I felt like I played well and controlled the ball well," Woods said. "I hit one really bad shot there at three, but other than that, it was a pretty good, solid day.

"I was fortunate the cut came back [on Friday]. I made a little run at the end, and at times it was looking like it was going to be at two [over], but fortunately I snuck in at three.

"Then I was moving better [on Saturday] and felt like I did the first day, and consequently I could make the passes at the golf ball like I did the first day.

"Unfortunately, I didn't make any putts, so hopefully I can make a few more [on Sunday]."

Woods fared better than playing partner Brooks Koepka, whose one-over 73 left him at four over through 54 holes.

Asked about conditions on the course, Woods added: "It's tough. It's fast.

"The golf course is right where they want it. Now that the wind has picked up just a touch, it's going to dry it out a little bit more.

"The ball is starting to run out on the greens. Some of the fairways are starting to chase."

Leader Tony Finau was at 10 under par through nine holes of his third round.

Source: Omnisport

The plot thickens: APC screening committee disqualifies Segun Abraham, a Tinubu protege in Ondo guber election

 CC™ Breaking News

The screening committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified a protege of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Dr. Segun Abraham, from the gubernatorial election primaries scheduled for later this month, in Ondo State.

It should be noted that Dr. Abraham lost to the current Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu in the 2016 primary elections for the same office and that loss was what prompted Bola Tinubu to move decisively against the then National Chairman of the APC, John Odigie-Oyegun.

It is no secret that Bola Tinubu nurses aspirations for the 'exalted' seat at Aso Rock, but recent developments within the rank and file of the ruling party, seem to suggest that he (Tinubu) may be losing his grip on the power base of the APC as we move closer to the general elections in 2023.

It is particularly noteworthy that out of the 12 aspirants screened for the primary elections, the only candidate disqualified was Dr. Abraham and that was definitely a pointed message to the "Lion of Bourdillon" and it remains to be seen what his response will be.

According to the committee, Dr. Abraham has the option of appealing his disqualification.

Two Nigerians face US charges over online fraud worth 'hundreds of millions'

CC™ Global News - By Jon Fingas,@jonfingas

US law enforcement is cracking down on a pair of alleged online fraudsters that appear to have been wildly successful. The United Arab Emirates has sent the US two Nigerian nationals, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas and Olakean Jacob Ponle, to face charges relating to large “business email compromise” scams. Abbas is accused of money laundering in schemes meant to pull in “hundreds of millions of dollars,” according to the Justice Department. 

He reportedly helped with a plan to launder $14.7 million stolen from a “foreign financial institution,” helped take nearly $923,000 from a New York law firm and was even involved in a plot to steal roughly $124 million from an English Premier League club. 

Ponle, meanwhile, allegedly participated in several 2019 fraud campaigns that were worth “tens of millions of dollars,” including one Chicago-based company that sen a total of $15.2 million. According to the claim, Ponle had victims wire funds to money mules who converted the gains to Bitcoin and sent them to a digital wallet the mastermind controlled.  

Both Abbas and Ponle could serve up to 20 years in prison if convicted. US attorney Nick Hanna saw the move as evidence the US could hold online fraud perpetrators responsible “no matter where they live.” However, this is is also an illustration of how difficult it is to halt internet scams. American officials have been identifying foreign fraud campaigns for years, and they only sometimes lead to arrests. Although these moves could send a message to scammers who think they can escape without penalty, they might not serve as practical deterrents.

Source: endgadget

Indian man wears gold face mask to ward off coronavirus

CC™ World News 

An Indian man said he paid about $4,000 for a bespoke gold face mask to protect him from the coronavirus raging in the country.

The precious metal covering weighs 60 grams (two ounces) and took craftsmen eight days to make, said businessman Shankar Kurhade, from the western city of Pune. 

"It is a thin mask and has tiny pores that is helping me to breathe," Shankar stated. 

"I am not sure if it will be effective to protect me from a coronavirus infection but I am taking other precautions," he added. 

When going out, the 49-year-old said he likes to adorn himself with gold jewellery weighing a kilogramme, including a bracelet, necklace and rings on each finger of his right hand. 

Kurhade -- whose company makes industrial sheds -- said he got the idea for the gold face mask after seeing a media report about a man wearing one made from silver. 

"People are asking me for selfies," he said. 

"They are awestruck when they see me wearing the gold mask in markets." 

India has made face masks mandatory in public places in a bid to control the spread of the virus in the country, which has around 650,000 confirmed cases and more than 18,600 fatalities. 

Source: AFP

Why Joe Biden must avoid the trap of choosing a black woman as his vice-presidential running mate

Elizabeth Warren as VP will ensure a Biden win

CC™ Opinion Editorial - By Yahaya Balogun

November 3, 2020 is another general election in the United States. It is another defining moment in the history of the United States. Joe Biden must be smart and cautiously prepared in his choice of vice-presidential candidate. 

Now that Joe Biden has narrowed his choice or pick to a woman, he needs to be smart, strategic, and calculating. Biden’s nominee must strategically be a white woman to walk a fine line, and assuage the majority of the white voters and to diffuse the expectant race baiting-Potus in the White House.

Meanwhile, race-baiting is a potential political weapon for the Republican Party to use to fight the much favoured Democratic Party in the general election. This writer had earlier postulated the brilliant woman, Stacey Abram to be Biden’s nominee, but it looks dicey to predict her ticket to avoid a political miscalculation. There is a chunk of qualified candidates (male or female, black, white, or brown) in the Democratic Party who are quintessentially qualified to be the president or vice president of the United States of America. It is also imperative that Biden should be cognizant of the weaponisation of race by the Republicans as their potent divisive weapon to sway white voters in November. The white and black Americans have much to gain from any nominee from the plethora of women candidates in the Democratic Party.

The Republican Party has used the weapon of race successfully in the past to polarize and further divide a blessed country, the United States of America. The weapon of division-race card should be the yardstick for which Biden’s choice is made to reassure the majority of the white people who are as intelligent as their black or Latino’s intelligent counterparts. As part of the team-Obama, Biden must open and use a potent chapter from the playbook of classic President Barack Obama. Biden is a very decent, compassionate, intelligent and experienced politician. He is also a quintessential person with decent family background. It’s pertinent to note this Yoruba-Nigerian axiomatic statement that says: “Every day is for the thief, one day is for the owners.” It seems the Republican Party has exhausted in playing all their political shenanigans. Race-baiting seems to be their last card. Their joker seems prepared to use RACE for a campaign towards the Fall. “Every attempt to taint the truth ends up tainting the mendacious liars, truth-destroyers, naysayers and people engaging in character assassination.” – Yahaya Balogun.

Karma is a phenomenon thing. Everything said during Obama’s administration by the mendacious Republicans about Obama was like a tsunami of political predictions. All their malicious allegations against Obama perfectly matched the unexpected inconsequential ‘one’ (currently in power) to come after Obama. History is bunk! Only the karmic prey and liars will be consumed by their lies and the judgment of history.You can’t give what you don’t have; these Republican members of the House know the truth, yet they’ve chosen to be pathologically mendacious on false – Fox news platform.

The chickens have come home to roost. These mindless Republicans are doing a great injustice to the future of the Republican Party. Democrats must as a matter of urgency intensify and consistently air the compendium of lies told about quintessential Obama on the national television for the world to see. 

The exact things said about Obama are being replayed verbatim in the exact characters of the current leader of their party. Expectedly, Biden is adequately prepared and ready to take off from day one to begin to clean the swamp and stench oozing out of the Oval Office. 

The United States used to be a respected country with its stupendous leadership position in the world. It is sad to see American uniqueness and exceptionalism being eroded by a leader whose narcissistic behaviour is an existential threat to the unique democratic values of the United States. 

The Democratic Party must wakeup to write their own stories. According to Brené Brown: “When we deny our stories, they define us. When we own our stories, we get to write the ending.” The last few months ahead is a great opportunity to campaign vigorously to rewrite the current chaotic situation in the United States of America.

#Elizabeth Warren #Joe Biden #Democratic VP #Stacey Abrams #Kamala Harris #Biden VP

Vision: Netflix seals strategic partnership with prolific producer Mo Abudu to develop content from Nigeria

Mosunmola "Mo" Abudu

CC™ Media Scoop - Breaking Netflix Press Release 

Netflix is reaffirming its commitment to original African content, signing a multi-title deal with prolific Nigerian producer Mo Abudu. 

Through the partnership, Abudu — via her production company EbonyLife — will create two series and multiple films for the streamer. Among them will be the adaptations of Lola Shoneyin's bestselling debut novel The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives and 1986 Nobel Prize laureate Wole Soyinka's 1975 play Death and the King's Horseman. One of the films is expected to land on Netflix later this year.

"Mo is at the forefront of creative storytelling in African television. Her passion for creating high-quality, riveting multi-genre films and TV shows that capture the imagination while showcasing the diversity and richness of Nigerian culture is evident in her impressive body of work,” said Dorothy Ghettuba, Netflix’s lead for original series in Africa. "We’re thrilled about this first-of-its-kind partnership in Africa that will bring some of Nigeria — and Africa’s most iconic storytelling to screen. We look forward to supporting Mo as she brings all these diverse Nigerian stories to the world."

Said Abudu: "As a Nigerian storyteller, my biggest motivator has always been to tell authentic and untold stories that resonate with every person, regardless of where they’re from in the world while showcasing our culture, heritage and creativity."

"We believe that more people deserve to see their lives reflected on screen and for that to happen, we need to make sure there’s a wide variety of content that caters to our members’ diverse tastes," said Ben Amadasun, Netflix director of licensing and co-productions for Africa. "Our members around the world have been enjoying some of the licensed titles from EbonyLife like The Wedding Party, Chief Daddy, Castle & Castle and Fifty. I’m excited to continue our licensing partnership with the addition of Netflix branded films titles that will grow the variety of quality Nigerian stories on our service."

Added Abudu: "This unprecedented partnership is testament to the Netflix’s investment in African storytelling and we at EbonyLife are grateful and excited about the opportunity to work together with the Netflix teams led by Dorothy and Ben to deliver a slate of unique and riveting stories from Nigeria over the next few years for Netflix audiences around the world."

The deal comes just months after Netflix partnered with John Boyega's UpperRoom Productions for a slate of three features, two from Nigeria and one from Egypt. 

The extra $600 Americans get in weekly unemployment benefits ends next month — here’s what lawmakers are proposing to replace it

CC™ Business - Elisabeth Buchwald MW

Americans who have been laid off from their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic have been able to collect an additional $600 a week in unemployment benefits on top of what they get from their state. 

The supplemental $600 Americans receive has been controversial, especially given that two-thirds of laid-off workers receive more money from their unemployment benefits than they did from their jobs. 

As lawmakers consider a new round of stimulus funding, there are three proposals on the table on how to replace the extra $600, two of which would allow unemployed Americans to receive additional funds on top of state unemployment benefits.

Last month, the Democratic-run House passed the $3 trillion HEROS Act, which would, among other things, extend the extra $600 federal unemployment benefit to January 2021.

The Congressional Budget Office found that if these benefits were extended through January 2021, an estimated five of every six recipients would receive more in benefits than they would from working those six months.

“If the benefit of $600 per week was extended, fewer than one in thirty recipients would receive benefits — generally the maximum amount in their state — that were less than 50% of their potential earnings,” the CBO report states.

Some have argued those generous benefits will keep people from seeking new jobs. But extending the $600 unemployment benefit would mean that Americans would have more money to spend in stores, and that could ultimately lead to lower unemployment, Heidi Shierholz, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think-tank based in Washington, D.C., said.

“It’s not true that there’s a pool of jobs out there that people would fill if they weren’t receiving unemployment benefits,” she said.

READ MORE

Miyetti Allah: Benefactors of terrorist Fulani herdsmen say Nigeria belongs to them and are ready to float vigilante across the nation to assert their claim

CC™ Breaking News 

Expected outrage has greeted the statement credited to National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Alhaji Bello Abdullahi Bodejo, that the Fulani own Nigeria and will continue to rule the country.

Bodejo was also quoted to have said that herdsmen do not need any permission to enter any community as they are the owners of land anywhere across the nation, and that the Fulani would float a 100,000-man vigilante to be deployed across the country.

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN; Southern/Middle Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF; Ohanaeze youths; the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB; First Republic politician, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi; and Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, were among those who flayed the comments, they're capable of imploding the country.

The angry reactions came as Bodejo made a U-turn and said that he never claimed that Nigeria belonged to the Fulani. The Christian Association of Nigeria in the Northern states and Abuja warned that the statement was divisive and capable of tearing the nation apart.

Vice-Chairman of CAN, 19 Northern States and FCT, Rev John Joseph Hayab, said in a statement in Kaduna, yesterday, said Nigeria does not belong to any ethnic group, section or religion but to all Nigerians.

He said the newspaper story credited to the National President of one of the groups of Miyetti Allah who was quoted to have said that 'Nigeria belongs to Fulani and would rule forever' confirmed and identified those who do not wish Nigeria to live in peace and unity.

"Our stance is that no well-meaning individual should use the name of an association or platform like Miyetti Allah to make such serious, divisive statements as these.

"The truth is that Nigeria does not belong to any ethnic group, section or religion but to every one of us. Making such false claims as that of Miyetti Allah's President only create tension and fuels crisis," he said.

CAN therefore, called on the Federal Government through the D-G, DSS and Inspector-General of Police to have a session with the ethnic superiority champion to "school him on the diversity of Nigeria and the need for restraint from such reckless statements."

He continued: "All well-meaning members of the Miyetti Allah group need to urgently disassociate themselves from the provocative statement linked to the group as proof that the speaker is not playing a script.

"Without a doubt, there are members of Miyetti Allah who love this country genuinely, craving to see the country grow in peace and develop in every sphere, reckon that the statement credited to the group's President is not a popular view, as such, needs to be publicly opposed.

"Nigeria's problems are numerous; from insecurity to bad economy and now, the COVID-19 pandemic. CAN, therefore, does not want to add to the barrage of problems the country face by letting unscrupulous people make grave and ungodly utterances that have dangerous security implications.

"Nigerians will wait and see what the Federal Government through its security agencies will do about this inflammatory statement unless we have separate laws for different groups of people in this country."

Reacting to the claim by Bodejo, elder statesman and sole surviving member of the Zikist Movement, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, said he had been warning Nigerians that the aim of the present administration was to achieve what Sarduana of Sokoto, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, leader of Northern People's Congress, NPC, said in the Parrot Magazine of October 12, 1960, less than 12 days after Nigeria's independence.

According to Mbazulike Amaechi, the late Sir Ahmadu Bello had shortly after independence said that Nigeria is an estate of their great-grandfather, Othman Dan Fodio, that they must ruthlessly prevent change of power.

"In my book: 'A political History of Modern Nigeria', on page 90, I quoted Sarduana of Sokoto, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello's comments in Parrot Magazine of October 12,1960, twelve days after independence, where he said that 'the new nation called Nigeria should be an estate from our great grand-father, Othman Dan Fodio, we must ruthlessly prevent a change of power.

"We must use the minorities of the North as willing tools and the South as conquered territories and never allow them to have control of their future. Our great-grandfather conquered up to Ilorin but we have now accomplished the task which he did not complete. I will dip the Q'uran at the sea."

Mbazulike, who was the First Republic Aviation Minister, said the Fulani believed they owned Nigeria and that other sections of the country were their property.

He continued: "Today, the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore is telling Nigerians the same thing and you want to disagree with them; that is what this government is all about. I have been telling Nigerians that the purpose of this government is to Islamize Nigeria and empower the Fulani but nobody is listening to me.

"Sarduana of Sokoto said it in Parrot Newspaper of October 12, 1960, twelve days after independence, that they own Nigeria and all other sections of the country is their property and they will continue to rule the country and the Miyetti Allah is telling you today and you still want to doubt them. I said it that this is where the country is going now."

Speaking further, the elder statesman said that "nobody should blame them because they are matching their words with action and Nigerians do not care, nobody wants to listen to me, so Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore is right in their thinking."

In a response to the building national outrage in response to his inflammatory comments, Bodejo again doubled down on his assertion stating that in the face of the formation of Amotekun, that the Fulbe will pursue their business anywhere in Nigeria and will also form their vigilante groups if necessary to ward off any threat against our people and against the incessant cattle rustlings.

The Fulbe, Bodejo said, 'have the ability and capacity to defend themselves in Nigeria and indeed anywhere.

Nigeria's President, Muhammadu Buhari, himself a Fulbe (Fulani) has again characteriscally kept silent, as he has always done, on matters relating to the highly charged issue of the atrocities of the terrorist Fulani herdsmen and their benefactors.

Nation News

Swab producing company to discard a whole day's production as Trump again refuses to wear a mask at facility

CC™ Weekend Highlight 

U.S. President Donald Trump traveled to Maine Friday to tour a facility that makes medical swabs used for coronavirus testing, but the swabs made during his visit will ultimately be thrown in the trash, the company said.

Puritan's marketing manager for the company told USA Today that the factory was in "limited" operation during the president's tour and "swabs produced during that time will be discarded."

It's unclear how many testing swabs will be thrown out, and why, though the move follows reports of test shortages during the Covid-19 crisis as states begin to reopen and need to expand their testing capacity, according to several media outlets in the U.S.

Workers in white lab coats, hair nets and plastic booties worked at machines making swabs while the president walked through the room. Trump, who did not wear a mask for the visit, stopped at one point to talk with some of the workers.

"When you have more tests, you have more cases. I say to my people: Every time we test, you find cases because we do more testing," he said during his Friday visit, adding "So if we have more cases — if we wanted to do testing in China or in India, or other places, I promise you, there'd be more cases. But we're doing a great job with the testing. And you’re doing a fantastic job in getting out the swabs."

While China's Wuhan - the hardest-hit city by the coronavirus and where the first known cases were reported last December - tested nearly 10 million people in an unprecedented 19-day campaign to check the entire city, which identified just 300 positive cases, all of which had no symptoms.

Trump has insisted that "anyone" in the U.S. is able to get tested, while his administration has recently accelerated production of tests as labs process as many as 400,000 tests a day. However, technicians and health officials have expressed concerns about a lack of nationwide consistent strategies and inconsistent results from a patchwork response to the pandemic.

China Plus