ALL THE RELEVANT NEWS :Wednesday

23 Dec ALL THE RELEVANT NEWS :Wednesday

🌍The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called off its 9-month-old strike. ASUU national president Bidoun Ogunyemi broke the news on Wednesday during a briefing of the union in Abuja; it wants FG to fulfill its part of the agreement wholly

🌍Villa Stories: The presidency has dismissed an editorial in Financial Times, a UK- based, which described Nigeria as a country that is gradually inching closer to becoming a failed state.
* President Buhari has extended the mandate of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 till March 2021, noting that Nigeria is in a perilous situation given the virulent nature of the second wave demanded that the government acts decisively to protect the people.
* At the virtual commissioning of the Integrated Gas Handling Facility and LPG Processing and Dispensing Plants built and operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company he said Nigeria has moved a step closer to the dream of full utilisation of the country’s abundant gas potentials.
Goodluck Jonathan briefed him on the political situation in the Republic of The Gambia, where he visited.

🌍Oil Monitor: After a good run above the $50 mark, Brent crude futures were down 38 cents, or 0.8%, to $49.70 a barrel at 0814 GMT over industry data showing U.S. crude oil stocks rose last week, and Donald Trump rattling markets by threatening not to sign a long-awaited COVID-19 relief bill.

🌍COVID-19 Update: Nigeria reports highest daily count: Nigeria, on Tuesday, confirmed 999 new infections, a new daily record, 4 deaths and 396 new recoveries, taking the national totals to 79789 confirmed cases; 68879 recoveries and 1231 deaths
* Coronavirus has now reached the last continent on Earth – with the first cases identified in Antarctica
* EU begs countries to lift UK travel bans over the new strain of the virus

🌍Nigeria’s investment inflows in the third quarter of 2020 rose by 1,480 percent to $3.95 billion from $0.25 billion in the second quarter (Q2’20).

🌍NNPC says it is currently focusing on third party financing of oil and gas development projects. (6) DPR has assured Nigerians of petroleum products availability during the yuletide period.

🌍FG on Tuesday announced a 72-hour total closure of the Third Mainland Bridge to cast concrete on the expansion joints from Saturday; and a 48-hour partial closure of Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

🌍The DSS has said there are plans by some criminal elements to carry out violent attacks on public places including key and vulnerable points during the yuletide seasons.

🌍BUA Cement has signed an agreement with Sinoma CBMI of China for the construction of three new cement plants of 3 million tonnes each per annum in Edo, Sokoto and Adamawa States.

🌍 Seplat Petroleum Development Company has signed a Crude Purchase Agreement with Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited.

🌍 The Nigerian Governors Forum has lamented the insecurity nationwide, saying, “We’re all tired, we’re all frustrated.” They promise to cooperate with the FG to fight insecurity.

🌍 The problem of obtaining National Identity Number to validate SIM cards continued yesterday as the high demand on the web portal of the National Identity Management Commission caused it to crash on Monday.