Week-in-Review: Highlights of top stories for the past week

Last week started off with the review of the next phase of the gradual easing of the Covid-19 Lockdown.

President Muhammadu Buhari approved the ‘’safe reopening’ of schools whereby only graduating classes are to reopen for examination preparations.

President Buhari also approved the reopening of airports and Inter State travel.

Making up part of the events for last week was the announcement by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency about a new price band of N140.80 to N143.80 per litre for Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol.

Marketers were advised to operate within the indicative prices as advised by the PPPRA.

Last Week Wednesday, the National Assembly announced the suspension of the Special Public Works programme under the National Directorate of Employment to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic.

Buhari, had approved the engagement of 774, 000 Nigerians under the scheme.

By the arrangement, 1, 000 Nigerians who would earn N20,000 each on a monthly basis for three months are expected to be recruited in each of the 774 local government areas, of the country.

This suspension followed the disagreement between the house members and the Minister of State for Employment, Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo.

This disagreement was another top story that made headlines in Nigeria’s media sphere as Mr Festus Keyamo, exchanged hot words with Senators and members of House of Representatives over the National Directorate of Employment recruitment exercise.

It was initially an interactive session between the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo and the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Labour but the meeting ended dramatically as the Minister engaged lawmakers in a shouting bout.

Trouble started when the National Assembly Committee requested that the Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Nasiru Ladan speak on the composition of a 20 man Committee inaugurated on Monday by the Ministry for the implementation of the planned employment of Nigerians in the Special Public Works Programme 2020.

There was also quagmire when Ladan could not defend the N52bn budgeted for the recruitments of 774,000 Nigerians under the NDE. The lawmakers were however not satisfied with Ladan’s explanation which to them showed that he was not in control of the programme.

To wrap off last week’s review, was the story of an 8-month-old pregnant wife who cut off her husband’s penis.

Shared on Twitter by a Nigerian Medical Doctor, Dr Penking, explained that the pregnant wife had a little quarrel with her husband which got physical. She grabbed a kitchen knife and amputated the man's penis.

‘’His penis can't be re-attached because it "died off" so to speak before it could get to the hospital.

 ‘’When next you want to advocate against domestic violence, remember that it can be both ways,’’ he advised.

 

You can further read details of the stories on the blog, make comments and share this post