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  Activities in Kaduna State have been paralysed as the five-day warning strike directed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over irregular sacking of civil servants began on Monday. Checks revealed that schools, banks and other business premises had been closed. The National Union of Banks, Insurance and Finance Institutions Employees had directed its members to withdraw banking and insurance services in Kaduna state from Monday 17. The Zonal State Secretary of the union, Mr Adamu Danladi explained that the directive followed the NLC’s warning strike in response to what he described as Gov. El-Rufai’s “anti-workers policies”. He said that the withdrawal of services would continue until otherwise directed by the congress. Also, while some schools were closed, others were open but only a few teachers, pupils and students were seen hanging around. Some of the schools visited were Local Education Authority Primary School, Mahuta, Milton College, a private school also at Mahuta, close...

  The Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai, and his deputy, Hadiza Balarabe, have received the first dose of the Astrazeneca COVID vaccine jab. The governor disclosed this on his Twitter page shortly after receiving the vaccine in Kaduna on Wednesday. Using his experience as instance, El-Rufai urged residents of the state to dismiss rumoured claims that the vaccine has side effects. He wrote: “ Astrazeneca vaccine is safe: Just had my first meal some 5 hours after taking my first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. No pain. No headache. No side effects. Excellent appetite.” El-Rufai stretches the list of governors, who have been vaccinated against the novel disease so far. Nigeria had received 3.92 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine last weekend, delivered under the international COVAX scheme.