taken on August 24, 2020 Donald Trump Jr. speaks during the first
day of the Republican convention at the Mellon auditorium in
Washington, DC. AFP
US President Donald Trump’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr
has tested positive for Covid-19 and is quarantining without
symptoms, the latest in a long list of infections among those with
links to the White House.
“Don tested positive at the start of the week and has been
quarantining out at his cabin since the result,” his spokesman
said.
“He’s been completely asymptomatic so far and is following all
medically recommended COVID-19 guidelines,” the spokesman said of
the 42-year-old.
Trump Jr’s positive test follows infections for a string of
others connected to the White House, including his father, who was
hospitalized, the president’s wife Melania and Trump’s youngest son
Barron.
Donald Jr’s girlfriend, former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle,
also tested positive in July.
Earlier Friday, Andrew Giuliani, a White House aide and son of
the president’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani announced he had
tested positive.
Trump Jr is one of the most outspoken and aggressive defenders
of his father, who is still refusing to recognize his defeat to
Democrat Joe Biden in the November 3 presidential election.
In the days after the vote, Trump Jr called for his father to go
to “total war” against what he calls electoral fraud despite no
evidence to support the claim.
Like his father he has also consistently downplayed the
pandemic, telling Fox News as the virus surged around the country
last month that deaths from Covid-19 had fallen to “almost
nothing.”
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– Surging cases –
Trump’s administration has been heavily criticized for its
response to the pandemic and for downplaying the dangers.
Many in the crowds at his pre-election rallies were often
maskless and not abiding by social-distancing rules.
They were a sharp contrast with Biden’s drive-in rallies and his
scrupulous mask-wearing.
On Monday, the president-elect expressed frustration over
Trump’s refusal to cooperate on the White House transition process,
saying “more people may die” of coronavirus without immediate
coordination on fighting the pandemic.
With Trump refusing to concede defeat, Biden and his team have
been unable to coordinate with government officials on crucial
continuity of issues like national security, but also on
emergencies like a distribution plan for Covid-19 vaccines to tens
of millions of Americans.
Current US numbers — more than a quarter of a million deaths
have been reported — have alarmed authorities enough to advise that
people stay home for next week’s Thanksgiving holiday, when
Americans usually travel to be with their families.
New York City has shut down schools for its 1.1 million
students, while California will impose a 10:00 pm to 5:00 am curfew
from Saturday.
There was however a new sign of hope on Friday as US biotech
giant Pfizer and German partner BioNTech sought approval to roll
out their coronavirus vaccine early.
Read more https://swordpress.com.ng/2020/11/21/trumps-son-don-jr-tests-positive-for-covid-19/
The Federal Government on Friday agreed to exempt the Academic
Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) from the Integrated Payroll and
Personnel Information System pending when the university lecturers
will complete the development of its own payment platform- the
University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
![image](/2020/11/spaajibade2.jpg")
![image](/2020/10/lawreport.jpg")
The government also agreed to ASUU’s demand to pay their
members’ salary arrears from February to June through the old
salary payment platform – the Government Integrated Financial and
Management Information System.
![image](/2020/10/NWLRland.jpg")
After weeks of negotiations and foot – dragging, the government
offered to raise the Earned Academic Allowances to university staff
from N30bn to N35bn and the revitalisation fund from N20bn to
N25bn.
Cumulatively, the government, through the Accountant – General
of the Federation, offered the lectures N65 billion to call off
their eight-month old strike.
The government also shifted grounds on a number of issues,
including the insistence that all the academic staff of the federal
universities must be paid through the IPPIS platform.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, who read out the
communique at the end of a seven-hour negotiation with ASUU members
in Abuja, the funds will be shared by all the registered Trade
Unions in the universities after providing necessary evidence of
having earned the allowance.
“Responding to the demand for immediate payment of 50% of the
initial amount allotted for the purpose (revitalisation) which
translates to N110 billion, the FG stated that this is not possible
because of paucity of funds.
“The government, however, offered to pay N25 billion based on
the Memorandum of Action (MoA) of 7th February, 2019 signed with
ASUU or in the alternative, urged ASUU to accept N30 billion with
the reduction in the earlier Earned Allowances. Between the
revitalisation and earned allowances, the FG has offered a
cumulative sum of N65 billion.
“The Accountant-General of the Federation offered to immediately
release N40 billion or in the alternative N35 billion to be shared
by all the registered Trade Unions in the universities after
providing the necessary evidence of having earned the
allowance.
“The FG reiterated that her offer of N40 billion or 35 billion
whichever is accepted by ASUU was for all the universities unions:
ASUU had proposed that N40 billion be paid immediately for all
unions ,” the communique said.
The breakthrough in negotiations is expected to end the
eight-month strike embarked on by the university lecturers.
Before the new offer by government, ASUU had demanded N110
billion for revitalisation which should be paid in tranches.
The union also told the government that the N30 billion EAA was
for only ASUU members, a position the government rejected, citing
lack of funds to meet ASUU’s financial demands.
On his part, ASUU president, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi said that the
union has received the new proposals by the federal government and
that it will go and consult with it’s organs before taking a
position.
“I don’t really have much to say as the minister had said it
all. Government has given us offers and we have promised to go back
to our organs to brief them and then come back to government. We
acknowledge that progress has been made,” he said.
Ogunyemi said that ASUU will need till Friday next week to meet
with its organs before reverting to government.
The meeting was therefore adjourned till next Friday.