SUNDAY 22ND MARCH 2020

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COVID-19/THE RESPONSE...

CBN Directs Oil Companies to End FX Sale to NNPC Plans special naira, dollar intervention for health companies Total economic stimulus now N3.5trn Obinna Chima and Nume Ekeghe The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday directed all oil companies in the country, both international and domestic, to

immediately stop the sale of foreign exchange (FX) to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). It said henceforth, oil companies should sell their FX to the CBN.

CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, gave the directive while briefing journalists at the end of an extraordinary Bankers’ Committee meeting in Lagos. Emefiele explained that the directive, which was

aimed at shoring up FX supply in the country, was in line with the new policy on price modulation that the federal government announced last week. The CBN governor stated,

“All related oil companies are to sell FX to CBN and no longer NNPC. Whether you are in the oil service industry or oil production, upstream, midstream or downstream, all oil related companies must

sell their FX to the CBN and no longer to the NNPC, for the purpose of funding the importation of petroleum products, given the new policy Continued on page 5

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COVID-19/THE CRISES...

Nigeria Moves to Lockdown as 11 New Cases are Confirmed in Lagos, Abuja NRC shuts down rail operations Death toll rises to 12,978, infected cases jump to 304,035 globally Lagos reduces social gathering to 20 people Police to enforce restriction order Chiemelie Ezeobi, Chinedu Eze, Rebecca Ejifoma in Lagos and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja After recording 11 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total to 22, but with two fully recovered and discharged, the federal government, on Saturday, announced sterner measures to control the spread

of the pandemic. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) issued a directive restricting all international flights to all Nigerian airports from tomorrow. But exempted from the ban are “emergency aircraft, state aircraft and any other aircraft that might be so approved by the appropriate authority,” according to a clarification by the Nigerian

Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) dated March 21, 2020. NAMA said, “However, any Intentional flight operation that might be so approved shall be required to submit manifest to the Port Health authority prior to arrival in Nigeria. “Domestic flights shall continue normal operations

at all airports.” In a letter addressed to both domestic and foreign airlines, NCAA said in addition to earlier restriction of flights to Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu airports, it would from tomorrow ban all international flights to Lagos and Abuja airports. That was as the Emirates Airline said it would be

suspending all flights into Lagos and Abuja from its base in Dubai, starting tomorrow, March 23, due to the effect of the Coronavirus. The pandemic has infected 304,035 globally and claimed 12,978 lives, with Italy bearing the highest death number in the world. Italy’s daily coronavirus death toll rose by 793 Saturday, bringing the total to 4,825.

In further stringent measures to suppress the spread of the virus, the federal government through the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) shut down train services across the country, starting, also, tomorrow. Lagos State, where the first case of Covid-19 was Continued on page 5

COVID-19/THE TOLL...

Italy recorded 33 deaths per hour yesterday Ravages 7 members of a family killing 4 in New Jersey Official: 80% of people in Madrid will likely get virus

Concerns Mount over Nigeria Returnees By Our Correspondents Health authorities in Nigeria are expressing concerns over Nigerians in diaspora who are now returning to the country. Their concern is based on the fact that the returnees pose the highest risk to Nigeria right now. One of the officials told

THISDAY that "these Nigerians are returning from abroad where they have this disease and bring it into the country and once they enter the country they lie to the airport authorities and medical practitioners about their travel history. "Out of the 22 cases the country has recorded so far,

19 of them are returning Nigerians." Meanwhile, across the globe, scientists and medical experts are racing against time on how to end the scourge of Covid-19 earlier than the current projection of up to 18 months. United States President, Mike Pence and his wife

Karen Pence have both tested negative for the Coronavirus, his office announced Saturday night. The test became necessary when one of his staff tested positive to virus. Pence is leading the administration's coronavirus task force and has been a regular presence at President

Donald Trump's side in recent weeks. Meanwhile, the death toll from coronavirus around the world continue to mount, rising to 12,978 with Italy recording 4,825 cases and a single-day death toll of 793, an average of 33 deaths per hour. In New Jersey in the United States of America, the horror

of the virus was laid bare as it ravaged seven members of a single family, killing four. The matriarch of the large New Jersey family, Grace Fusco, died Wednesday night without ever knowing that her two oldest children had died before her. Mrs. Fusco, Continued on page 8


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SUNDAY 22ND MARCH 2020 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd - Issuu