Nigeria Pre-qualified for COVID-19 Vaccines, Not Disqualified, Says WHO Country to get 16m doses of AstraZeneca vaccines Israeli hospital allegedly finds cure for virus Deji Elumoye and Onyebuchi through the COVAX facility. vaccine. It also disclosed that the Association of Medical Nigeria's reported Addressing a joint Ezigbo in Abuja WHO said contrary to reports all countries on the continent Laboratory Scientists of disqualification frompress conference by WHO about the exclusion of Nigeria were expected to start Nigeria (AMLSN) on Saturday deployment of COVAX and Primary Healthcare The World Health Organisation from vaccine deployment, the accessing the AstraZeneca/ expressed readiness to Vaccine had sparked public Development Agency (WHO) has said Nigeria is country was among the nine Oxford vaccines by the end begin the development and concern, necessitating a (NPHCDA), Country among countries pre-qualified countries recommended as of February. production of vaccines to statement from WHO to put to access COVID-19 vaccines ready to deploy the Pfizer The clarification came as tackle coronavirus locally. the record straight. Continued on page 8 US’ Endorsement Clears Road for Okonjo-Iweala as WTO DG… Page 5 Sunday 7 February, 2021 Vol 25. No 9429 www.thisdaylive.com T N400 RU N TH & REASO How Troops Overran Terrorist Camps, Killed 60 Insurgents in North-east NEF:A Arrest, prosecute criminal herdsmen CAN advises FG to seek help from US, Isreal Chuks Okocha, Kingsley Task Force of Operation a recent visit to Borno State insurgents, however, triggered Forum (NEF), yesterday, of Nigeria (CAN) advised the Nwezeh and Onyebuchi Lafiya Dole, at the weekend, by the new service chiefs, an exodus of refugees from called for the arrest and federal government to seek Ezigbo in Abuja overran some terrorist camps the soldiers might have been four local government areas prosecution of any Fulani assistance from the United in the North-east, killing over buoyed by the visit. of Borno into Yobe State. herdsman that broke the law. Troops backed by the Air 60 insurgents. Coming after The battle with the But the Northern Elders And the Christian Association Continued on page 5 How FBI Warned FG, CBN on Scammers Using Cryptocurrencies to Defraud the West Christine Lagarde: Bitcoin facilitates questionable transactions Nigeria surged to second highest crypto destination in the world raking $200 to $300million a week without underlining economic activity, alarming the CBN FG alarmed kidnappers had switched to bitcoin for ransom payments Tobi Soniyi in Lagos and This was said to have Chuks Okocha in Abuja particularly targeted COVID-19 stimulus packages designed More facts have emerged to cushion the impact of on why the Central Bank of lockdown measures on Nigeria (CBN) decided to ban businesses and working cryptocurrency trading in the families in these countries. country. In an interview at a The apex bank prohibited Reuters online event last dealing in cryptocurrencies week Wednesday, President or facilitating payments for of the European Central cryptocurrency exchanges last Bank, Christine Lagarde week Friday. said of bitcoin: "It's a highly Investigations by THISDAY speculative asset that has led have revealed that, the federal to some reprehensible activity, government and the CBN including money laundering, were warned by the United and any loopholes need to States' Federal Bureau of be closed. Investigation, (FBI), on the "There has to be regulation. activities of fraudsters using This has to be applied and cryptocurrencies to bringing agreed upon at a global level into the country hundreds of because if there is an escape millions of US Dollars illegally that escape will be used; she obtained from the USA and other Western economies. Continued on page 5 TINUBU REVALIDATES HIS APC MEMBERSHIP... Soyinka: Herders-Farmers Can Chairman, APC South- west Zonal Monitoring Team, Membership Revalidation, and Registration Exercise, Senator Lawal Shuaibu; APC National Leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Osun State Governor, Degenerate into Civil War... Page 84 Adegboyega Oyetola, when Tinubu revalidated his membership in Lagos...on Saturday 2 SUNDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2021 •THISDAY SUNDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2021 • THISDAY 3 4 SUNDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2021 •THISDAY Ϳ˜ͺ͸ͺ͹˾THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER 5 PAGE FIVE US’ Endorsement Clears Road for Okonjo-Iweala as WTO DG Buhari: Nigeria’ll work closely with America Deji Elumoye in Abuja the Biden administration.” The endorsement was sequel international diplomacy. the candidacy of Dr. Ngozi leadership and has proven The United States to the withdrawal of her main “The United States takes Okonjo-Iweala as the next experience managing a large President Muhammadu Buhari government had on Friday challenger, the South Korean note of today’s decision by Director General of the WTO. international organisation with has expressed the readiness given its formal approval to Trade Minister, Yoo Myung-hee, The Republic of Korea’s Trade “Dr. Okonjo-Iweala brings a diverse membership. of Nigeria to collaborate with the emergence of Okonjo-Iweala from the race. Minister Yoo Myung-hee to a wealth of knowledge in “US looks forward to the United States of America as the next Director General of In a symbolic approval, withdraw her candidacy for economics and international working with a new WTO following its endorsement of the World Trade Organization, the United States Trade Director General of the World diplomacy from her 25 director-general to find paths Nigeria's Dr Ngozi Okonjo- removing the final obstacle to Representative office in a Trade Organisation (WTO). years with the World Bank forward to achieve necessary Iweala, as the sole candidate for her bid to be the first woman statement said, “Dr. Okonjo- “The Biden-Harris and two terms as Nigerian substantive and procedural the office of Director-General of and the first African to run Iweala brings a wealth of Administration is pleased to Finance Minister. She is widely reform of the WTO,” the the World Trade Organisation the Geneva-based trade body. knowledge in economics and express its strong support for respected for her effective statement concluded. (WTO). The President, in a release Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, declared: "Today, we see that the United States stands with Nigeria and Africa with the acceptance of our widely respected citizen, Okonjo-Iweala to lead the WTO. "We look forward to working very closely with the new U.S administration on this and all issues of common interests especially, in such areas as accelerated economic growth, fight against terrorism and deepening progress on development issues". The President welcomed the pronouncement of the Office of the United States Trade Representative, signifying withdrawal of the country’s objection to the emergence of Okonjo-Iweala as Director General of World Trade Organization, WTO. He went further: "We certainly welcome the decision of the new U.S administration to remove the last obstacle in the path of Dr. Okonjo-Iweala to becoming the first female and the first person of African descent to lead the organization. "Nigeria and the entire African continent are happy about this new U.S position, which signifies a shift and an LAWAN REVALIDATED... important turnaround in the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, displaying his slip after revalidating his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in atuzuK Ward of Bade relations between our continent and the United States under Local Government, Yobe North Senatorial District HOW FBI WARNED FG, CBN ON SCAMMERS USING CRYPTOCURRENCIES TO DEFRAUD THE WEST said. between $200 and $300 million federal government, acting circular on the issue, cautioned severe regulatory sanctions. Bureau of Statistics indicated According to THISDAY to Nigeria every week, using through the CBN, had to ban deposit money banks, (DMBs) This letter is with immediate that foreign capital inflow into investigation, “FBI had cryptocurrencies. cryptocurrencies in Nigeria. non-bank financial institutions effect,” it stated. Nigeria is at a four year low, discovered that fraudulent “The Central Bank and A cryptocurrency (or crypto) (NBFIs) and other financial However, the CBN directive having plummeted from $23.9 Nigerians, popularly known the federal government is a digital unregulated institutions (OFIs) as well had immediately drawn heavy billion in 2019, to just $9.68 as yahoo boys, took control were clearly alarmed by this currency that could be used as members of the public criticisms from the Nigerian billion in 2020." of large chunks of money development and had to act to buy goods and services, on the risk associated with public, with a former Vice He said already, the nation released as stimulus in the fast before irreparable damage but uses an online ledger with transactions in cryptocurrency. President, Alhaji Atiku had suffered severe economic wake of the devastating effects is done to the economy.” strong cryptography to secure The Director of Banking Abubakar, advising the apex losses from the border of the COVID-19, which has Even more disturbing was online transactions. Supervision, Bello Hassan, bank to reverse the decision, closure, and the effects of put many Americans out of that intelligence reports Much of the interest in the and the Director of Payments arguing that the country the #COVID19 pandemic. jobs.” indicated that kidnappers currency, not backed by any System Management couldn’t close her economy Accordingly, he explained, In order to avoid detection, had switched to bitcoin for government, is to trade for Department, Musa Jimoh, at this time "This is definitely the these fraudsters had ransom payments, making it profit, with speculators at signed the circular. In a statement personally wrong time to introduce been sending millions of increasingly difficult to trace. times driving prices skyward. “Further to earlier signed, Atiku said the number policies that will restrict dollars to Nigeria through To make matters worse, But the CBN had, at regulatory directives on the one challenge facing Nigeria the inflow of capital into cryptocurrencies.