The meeting to review the 2020 national budget and the suspension of flights by local airlines are some of the trending stories in Nigerian press on Thursday.
This Day said that the National Assembly leadership have met with the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Sylva Timipre, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, and other top government officials on the state of the economy and the planned review of the 2020 Budget.
The Leadership reported that in compliance to federal government’s measures to curtail the spread of coronavirus, domestic airlines in the country, including Dana Air and Air Peace and Arik Air, have concluded plans to suspend flight operations.
Dana Air announced halting of all its operations from the midnight of March 25 for the period of two weeks.
The Sun said that Kano State Government has ordered the closure of all routes linking the state with the rest of the country as part of moves to check the infiltration of COVID-19 to the state.
A late-night statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor of the state, Abba Anwar, said the border closure would take effect from 12 midnight, Friday, 27th March 2020.
The Nation reported that following the positive COVID-19 result for Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, some of the governors, who had contact with them have gone into self-isolation.
The Guardian said that medical experts and the Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) yesterday, joined the call by the First Lady Aisha Buhari for a total shut down of the country.
The Daily Trust said that a Presidency source disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari resumed work without receiving any visitor. President Buhari was still working in his office as at 2:30pm, but did not receive any government functionary for the usual briefing.
The Punch said that the Anambra State Police Command has arrested members of a six-man gang suspected to be bank account hackers. The suspects specialised in stealing people’s telephones with the intent of hacking into their accounts.
Channels Television reported that the Federal Government is proposing a review of the oil benchmark for the 2020 budget from an initial $57 to $30 per barrel due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the plunge in international oil prices on the nation’s economy.
MM/GIK/APA