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Don Jazzy has announced the signing of a new upcoming act, Rema to his Mavin Records.The Mavin boss made this known via several messages on his social media pages earlier on Friday, March 22, 2019.In the shared post, Don Jazzy wrote, ''Today another Mavin is Activated.Mavin/Jonzing is excited to present the newest MAVIN. Rema is a super talented young artist I have no doubt is going to be the future of Afrobeats.''Following the exit of Reekado Banks in December 2018, Rema joins the illustrious label which enters its seventh year since it was created in May 2012 and would be joining other acts like Tiwa Savage, Korede Bello, D'ija, Dr Sid, D'Prince, Poe, Johnny Drille and DNA twins.This announcement follows Mavins' recent investment deal with Kupanda Holdings signed in January.A deal which according to Tega Oghenejobo, the Chief Operating Officer of Mavin Global allows them grow and take on more artist unto the label.''It also means that if you are a young artist out of any country in Africa, you make amazing music and we are able to locate you, we will be able to put you on a platform that has a track record and the right employees that will be committed on the continent and also prepare your music for global consumption.''The signing was immediately followed by the release of the visuals to his introductory single, 'Iron Man.'
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal office, have arrested 11 suspected internet fraudsters for offences bordering on conspiracy, possession of fraudulent documents and attempt to obtain money under false pretence.The suspects are: Ganiyu Sherif Abiodun, Akinyele Sherif, Oluseye Soremekun, Kolawole Rasheed, Kolawole Kazeem and Ibrahim Anjorin.Others are: Temitope Samson, Damilola Samson, Uduogwu Freeborn Eboagwu, Ojomu Gbenga and Okougbo Dervick.They were arrested in the Lekki County Homes and Igbo-Efon areas of Lagos State, following intelligence report received by the Commission, recently.Items recovered from the suspects at the time of arrest include seven exotic cars, 16 laptop computers and 20 phones.They will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
The pastor arrested for impregnating a teenage girlThe General Overseer of Gloryland Church, Pastor Ekene Samuel, has been arrested for impregnating and procuring abortion for a teenage member of his church identified as Miracle, TheNation has reported.Different charms were also found at the residence of Pastor Ekene.Police said Pastor Ekene charmed and had sex with the 17-year-old Miracle in December 2018.Pastor Ekene was arrested after one Henry Aikhuaman reported that Miracle was missing.It was gathered that Miracle was later found on a sick bed at Graceville Medical Centre along Ewah Road in Bénin City.Doctors at the hospital were said to have told police interrogators that Miracle was brought in by one Happy Johnson, a deaconess in Pastor Ekene’s Church.Speaking to newsmen at the police headquarters, Happy said it was Pastor Ekene that told her to procure the abortion for Miracle.Pastor Ekene on his part described Miracle as one of his daughter in his church.“Last year I had an extra marital affair with her in August. She came to me this year that she was pregnant. I asked my member here to take her to the hospital. She was taking some drugs to remove the pregnancy. The baby died in her womb. The doctors did surgery on her because she was having appendicitis. The hospital asked me to pay N380, 000 and I have paid N150, 000 before I was arrested. She did not die. “These charms were items returned by people I prayed for through deliverance. Some are also for me. I also do spiritual work. I have anti-poison and others.”Edo Police Commissioner, Mr. Muhammed Dan Mallam, said the pastor and his accomplice would soon be charged to court.
The man who drank poisonA young man identified as Prince has been hospitalized and currently battling for his life at a hospital in Enugu after consuming a poisonous substance.According to a note he left before taking the poison, he stated that he had been betrayed too many times by people he showed love and he was tired of it.He added that the resulting pain strained his relationship with his girlfriend and she no longer loves him.However, he was rescued just in time and rushed to a hospital, where doctors are currently battling to stabilize him.
GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!!!Our Super Eagles beat Seychelles 3-1 at the Stephen Keshi Stadium on Friday to end our 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on a high note.Odion Ighalo scored the first goal from the penalty spot, before Rody Melanie equalized for the visitors.However sweet goals from Henry Onyekuru and substitute Moses Simon won the game for our Super Eagles.You Can Watch Highlight Below:
Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi, is not yet ready for a return to the national team despite playing regularly for his English Championship side, Middlesbrough, coach Gernot Rohr has revealed.Mikel Obi is yet to play for Nigeria since the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.Rohr, speaking at his pre-match conference ahead of Friday's 2019 AFCON qualifier against Seychelles, explained that the former Chelsea and Tianjin TEDA star is still carrying a little injury on his knee."Obi Mikel is playing well at Middlesbrough and he is doing well now, but there is still a little problem with his knee and it is not the moment for him to come back to the team in these conditions."There are so many games for him to play for Middlesbrough. They are fighting for a promotional playoff spot. And he told me it's not the right time to return. But if Obi Mikel is very fit and has the motivation, if he shows that he is better than the other people we have, the door is open"I'm not like Joachim Low (the German coach) who announced that three players are out of the German national team because you never know what might happen. There could be injury or loss of form."We are watching what is happening and we hope he (Mikel) can come back one day because we need experience. We now have more young players than the last list," he said.
The woman was nabbed after the terrible actIt has been reported that a Nurse has been arrested for selling a newborn baby for N350,000 after lying to the new mom that she had a stillborn in Lagos.Local reports show that the incident happened at Trinity Clinic, along Meiran Rd, Ifako-Ijaiye and the girl was sold to a lady residing in Ajah.The nurse was said to have told the parents that she had already helped them bury the child, but trouble started as a member of the parents’ family insisted on seeing the corpse.Policemen were later involved and during interrogation, the suspect confessed to selling the baby and took them to the buyer’s house, yesterday, where the girl was retrieved. The culprits have since been detained at the Meiran police station.Watch a video of when she was arrested below:
Femi Fani-Kayode, former minister of Aviation, has reacted to the judgement of the Osun State election petition tribunal declaring Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, winner of the September 27, 2018 governorship election in the state.The tribunal had on Friday held that the September 27 rerun election in the state was illegal.The three-man panel of the tribunal gave the judgement following the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ademola Adeleka against the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola.The tribunal also ruled that PDP and Adeleke proved that it was the state Returning Officer, who cancelled results in seven polling units, adding that the petitioners also proved that the Returning Officer has no power to cancel election results of a polling unit.The Tribunal then resolved to deduct 2,029 votes from the APC score and 1,246 votes from votes of the PDP in the 17 polling units where there was non compliance.Reacting to the ruling, Fani-Kayode congratulated Adeleke and Osun PDP for the victory.The PDP chieftain wrote on Twitter: “Congratulations to Governor-elect Demola Adeleke and the Osun state @OfficialPDPNig on a great victory at the election tribunal. We have done it! My state, Osun state has finally gone PDP.“I am overjoyed and overwhelmed. Praise the Lord! To him alone be the glory!”
SUSPECTED cultists, Wednesday night, invaded a building housing some National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, members at the Swali suburb of Yenagoa, and shot dead two corps members, while another was injured.The deceased corps members were identified as Popoola Oluwatobi, a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, an indigene of Oyo State, and George Onokpoma. While Popoola was killed on the spot, Onokpoma was confirmed dead at the Federal Medical Centre where he was rushed to for treatment. Vanguard learned that the attack which occurred at about 10.30p.m. in the densely-populated area, was carried out by seven suspected cultists. A resident who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “We heard gunshot from the direction of the Corps members’ room. One of them was heard shouting “Jesus” repeatedly and at the same time asking what was their crime. Another shot sounded and there was silence.” Describing the deceased as quiet and easy going, he added that they were attached to a private school known as Victory Group of Schools, close to their residence and were marking exam scripts when the hoodlums struck. “They hardly kept late nights and only sat by their door to take fresh air whenever there was power outage,” a neighbour said. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olushola David, was said to have visited the State Secretariat of NYSC, where he met with the State Director, Mrs Lotto Bolade over the incident. David was said to have assured the NYSC of a rejigged security strategy that would ensure the safety of serving corps members in the state. Mrs. Lotto, on her part, lamented the spate of cultists attacks on corps members in the state, just as she identified the third corps member who was wounded during the attack, as Dada. Confirming the attack, spokesman for the state Police Command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, said: “On March 20, at about 10p.m., armed robbers numbering about seven, attacked the residence of one Jerry Yeseme Moses, proprietor of a school, at Swali, Yenagoa. “The armed robbers instantly shot and killed one corps member, Oluwatobi Popoola, aged 30 years. They also shot one George Onokpoma and Anthony Dada. “The victims were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, where George Onokpoma was confirmed dead, while Anthony Gbenga is responding to treatment. “The command has launched a manhunt for the unknown gunmen, investigations is ongoing.”By Samuel Oyadongha
Senator Ademola Adeleke, who contested the Osun elections last year on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, has spoken for the first time, since the Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal declared him winner of the controversial state election.“To God be the glory,” Adeleke simply tweeted.The tribunal declared the September 27 rerun election in the state illegal.The three-man panel of the Tribunal gave the judgement on Friday following the petition filed by Adeleke, against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola.The Tribunal also ruled that PDP and Adeleke proved that it was the state Returning Officer who cancelled the results in 7 Polling Units, adding that the petitioners also proved that the Returning Officer has no power to cancel election results of a polling unit.The Tribunal also deducted 2,029 votes from APC scores and 1,246 votes from PDP votes in 17 polling units where there was non-compliance.
President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated the Presidential Implementation Committee on Autonomy of the State Legislature and State Judiciary.During the inauguration held at the State House, Abuja on Friday, President Buhari said his administration was committed to strengthening democracy by ensuring separation of powers among the three arms of government.Here is full text of President Buhari’s speech…I am delighted to welcome you all to the formal inauguration of the ‘Presidential Implementation Committee on Autonomy of the State Legislature and State Judiciary’. The setting up of this Committee is necessitated by the realisation that Legislative and Judicial autonomy are necessary pre-conditions for our democracy to endure.We are committed to strengthening our democracy by ensuring separation of powers among the three arms of Nigerian Government, even at the State levels. Furthermore, we have identified the need to sustain our constitutionally guaranteed Federal system of government by building capabilities not only at the Federal level but at all the Federating Units.This Committee has therefore been set-up, as a major reform of this administration, to ensure that the autonomy granted to the legislature and judiciary at the State levels is maintained, pursuant to Section 161 of the 4th Alteration to the 1999 Constitution (As Amended).The Committee is thus expected to foster effective implementation of the autonomy constitutionally granted the State Legislature and Judiciary under the 1999 Constitution (as amended). It is my hope that when this is done, there will be proper checks and balances, and the State Legislature and Judiciary shall be genuinely empowered to carry out their respective Constitutional duties without fear of dominance and or marginalization.The Legislature, being the closest arm of government to the people, and the Judiciary as the last hope of the common man, must both be seen to be sufficiently independent to perform their respective constitutional roles without any interference, let or hindrance. In this regard, ensuring that these organs of government enjoy financial autonomy will further enhance their efficiency and independence.In executing this important national assignment, the Committee, as constituted, is expected to cooperate with all relevant stakeholders to ensure compliance with the Constitutional provisions granting autonomy to State Legislature and Judiciary, without deviating from its approved Terms of Reference which are as follows:a) To assess and review the level of compliance by all the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT with Section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended);b) To monitor, ensure and cause the implementation of Financial Autonomy across the Judiciary and Legislature of the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) and other applicable Laws, Instruments, Regulations, and Conventions howsoever providing for financial autonomy for the Legislature and Judiciary at the State tier of Government;c) To consult and relate with the appropriate Federal and State MDAs, including but not limited to the Governors Forum, Accountant General of the Federation and those of the States, the National Economic Council and other institutions of State to ensure and where necessary, enforce the implementation of Constitutional provisions;d) To come up with appropriate modalities or model to be adopted by all the States of the Federation for implementation and/or compliance with Section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended);e) To advice on other measures that are deemed necessary or incidental to the fulfilment of the aims of the Committee to attain the full purport of this assignment.The Committee as constituted is chaired by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, with the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, as Secretary. The Committee is expected to complete its deliberations and submit its report and recommendations within three (3) months from today.It is now my pleasure to formally inaugurate the Presidential Implementation Committee on Autonomy of State Legislature and State Judiciary. I urge members of the Committee to be meticulous and diligent in the discharge of their duties and to ensure compliance with their approved Terms of Reference. I wish members of this Committee success in the discharge of their responsibilities.Thank you all, and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The 35-year-old Republic of Ireland international confirmed on social media that his career is now over.He wrote on Twitter: "Isn't it ironic...my Achilles heel has literally been my Achilles heel and finished me off."I am now retired from playing football. It's been epic. Veni vidi vici."More to follow... Source: Sky Sport News
Gareth Bale has revealed he was in good terms with Cristiano Ronaldo and did not have issues with the Portuguese while at Real Madrid.The Mirror report claim the duo had an ill-tempered during Ronaldo's spell at the Santiago Bernabeu before his switch to Serie A champions Juventus.Bale has faced a difficult campaign with the Los Blancos since Ronaldo's exit and is now tipped to leave the Bernabeu in June.In a chat with BT Sport's What I Wore, the Welshman, who is linked with a possible return to the Premier League next season reacts on his relationship with Ronaldo."Cristiano is an incredible player, I thoroughly enjoyed playing with him," Bale was quoted as saying non BT Sport's What I Wore."Obviously the media try and hype up these problems which were never there. We got on really well."He's an incredible player and what he did for the club with the amount of goals he scored. An incredible player and he is still going now," he stressed, even as he was quick to recall his move from Tottenham to Real Madrid in a world-record fee back in 2013."I appreciated everything Tottenham had done for me but I think they did understand at the time that when such a big club comes in for you like Real Madrid it is difficult to turn them down," Bale added."Even though I was enjoying my time at Tottenham, loved the club and I still do, to have Real Madrid come for you, you'll regret saying no," Bale summed up.The Welshman's future at the Santiago Bernabeu remains unclear since the return of Zinedine Zidane.
Police in Wolfsburg are continuing their investigation after speaking to three men over alleged racist abuse aimed at Leroy Sane and Ilkay Gundogan.A journalist at Germany's 1-1 draw with Serbia on Wednesday reported the incident and posted details of the allegations on social media after the game at Volkswagen Arena.The trio handed themselves in to police on Thursday and answered allegations of their use of the word "negro" towards Sane and Turkish slurs aimed at Gundogan, as well as accusations they were chanting Nazi slogans during the game.A Wolfsburg Police statement read: "The three men, who allegedly insulted two players of the German national team on Wednesday evening during the football match Germany - Serbia, made representations to the police on Thursday afternoon."The three men, between the ages of 30 and 40, have commented on the facts in a first hearing."The police will carry out further investigations and hand over the proceedings to the public prosecutor's office of Braunschweig at the beginning of next week."The abuse had been criticised by the German FA in a statement after Wednesday's game, the first since Joachim Low opted to remove Thomas Muller, Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels from his plans."The DFB condemns the racist incident in the international match against Serbia on Wednesday in Wolfsburg in the strongest terms," their statement read."During the match at the Volkswagen Arena, national team players Leroy Sane and Ilkay Gundogan were constantly insulted by a small group of spectators."Thanks to the support of a fan, the DFB was able to locate the ticket buyer for the seats where the spectators were sitting and the police are investigating."
Commuters and motorists plying the Ikeja Along axis on Lagos – Abeokuta Expressway have called on the Lagos State Government to intensify efforts toward decongesting constant gridlock on the road.Those, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, said that they usually spend over two hours in traffic from Ikeja GRA, inward PWD and Ikeja Along between the hours of 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. daily.According to them, traffic jam on that axis from 3 p.m. has become a recurring issue due to commercial vehicle activities at the Ikeja Along bus stop terminal.The motorists also decried the lackadaisical attitude of some personnel of the state traffic agency stationed at the area to ease traffic.Mr Adekunke Iyanda, a civil servant, said the officials were not strict enough in enforcing the law, adding that the bus drivers undermined their presence by parking on the road to pick up passengers.He pleaded with the bus drivers to use the bus stop park lane appropriately, to avoid causing traffic for other road users.Mr Shittu Adeyanju, an Uber driver, said the traffic along that route had discouraged him from plying the route regularly.“When a passenger books a ride to Iyana Ipaja, I usually decline the order because of the traffic along that route.“These bus drivers act like they own the road and they insult you whenever they are corrected,” he said.He suggested that there should be regular mobile patrol by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officials along that route to ease the flow of traffic.Mrs Shade Jegede, a trader, urged LASTMA officials at the area to exert stricter rules and sanctions for defaulters and resist the temptation of collecting money from drivers.“Lagos is not a lawless state, so LASTMA officials should be impartial in carrying out their duties.“I am sure if the officials are strict on them, we will see a positive change in no time,” she said.Mr Hassan Mamud, the Public Relation Officer (PRO) Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) acknowledged that there was more pressure on the road.He, however, assured that it would reduce when the ongoing construction of BRT lane is completed.Mamud said that majority of the commercial bus drivers also compounded the problem, adding they always flout the traffic rules and regulations on the route.“There is pressure on the road for now as a result of ongoing construction of BRT.“At the same time, commercial bus drivers are so reckless in driving thereby contributing to gridlock along the corridor.“The state government has constructed lay-bys, we also introduce barriers where the commercial buses can stop and pick their passengers without disrupting traffic but they refused to make use of it,“ he said.The attitude of the commercial drivers, he said contributed to the traffic jam.According to him, some of the commercial buses are impounded recently while over 200 commercial motorcycles were also impounded to create sanity along the routes.Mamud said that efforts had been put in place to reduce the traffic to the barest minimum with deployment of LASTMA officials to various bus stops at the corridor.According to him, the effort is to enforce compulsory usage of lay-bys and arrest indiscriminate parking of vehicles.“We will continue to do the needful until sanity is restored to the routes especially at the pick period,’’ he said.
Neymar has been charged by UEFA with insulting match officials following Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League exit at the hands of Manchester United.Marcus Rashford's spot-kick, in the fourth minute of stoppage time, secured an impressive 3-1 away victory for United that meant they progressed on away goals.The penalty was awarded by the Video Assistant Referee when Diogo Dalot's shot struck Presnel Kimpembe on the arm, but Neymar was adamant the visitors' winning goal at Parc des Princes should not have stood.The Brazilian star wrote in an Instagram post: "This is a disgrace, they put four people that know nothing about football in charge of looking at the replay for VAR."There is no penalty. How can it be a handball when it hits his back! Go **** yourselves!"UEFA have now opened disciplinary proceedings against Neymar for "insulting/molesting acts match officials".The case will be dealt with by the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body with the date of the hearing yet to be confirmed.
Charlie Edwards had no problem making the flyweight limit ahead his WBC title defence against Angel Moreno on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.The 26-year-old makes the first defence of his 115lbs title against Moreno, with Joshua Buatsi and Lawrence Okolie also appearing on the Copper Box Arena bill.Edwards, who claimed the prestigious green and gold belt with a classy points win over Cristofer Rosales in December, tipped the scales at 7st 13lbs 6oz, while the Spanish challenger weighed in at 7st 13lbs 4oz.Edwards was marginally heavier than Moreno on the scalesUndefeated Buatsi came in at 12st 5lbs 7oz and Liam Conroy was 12st 5lbs 9oz ahead of their clash for the vacant British light-heavyweight title.Joshua Buatsi and Liam Conroy contest the Lonsdale beltBritish champion Okolie was 14st 3lbs 3oz for his cruiserweight showdown with Commonwealth holder Wadi Camacho, who was also inside the 200lbs limit at 14st 3lbs 1oz.Irish middleweight Jason Quigley, who fights in the UK for the first time after racking up 15 straight wins in America, weighed 11st 9lbs 5oz and Finnish opponent Mathias Eklund 11st 2lbs 10oz.Lewis Ritson also returns at super-lightweightLewis Ritson weighed 9st 13lbs 7oz for his first fight at super-lightweight with Argentinian opponent German Argentino Benitez at 9st 13lbs 6oz.Shannon Courtenay tipped the scales at 8st 8lbs 5oz for her four-round professional debut with fellow bantamweight Cristina Busuioc 8st 8lbs 7oz.Shannon Courtenay starts her pro career this weekend
Oldham owner Abdallah Lemsagam has denied Paul Scholes left the club after 31 days because he interfered with team selection.Scholes resigned via WhatsApp on March 14, saying it "became clear I would not be able to operate as I intended and was led to believe prior to taking on the role".Lemsagan says the former Manchester United midfielder's departure was not down to any meddling on his part and told Sky Sports News he would even be open to Scholes returning to Boundary Park."It hurt, yes," said Lemsagam when asked about the manner of Scholes' resignation. "But it's part of life."It's a pity because to just send a WhatsApp was a little bit hard, not only for me but for the club."We will try to convince him to come back. I tried to call him many times but he did not answer."It's a pity how it came out but we wish him luck. He is a really good man and maybe will be a good manager in the future."Wild: No interference from ownerOldham head coach Pete Wild says owner Abdallah Lemsagam has never told him who to play in the first team.Oldham head coach Pete Wild says Lemsagam has never told him who to play in the first teamScholes' stint as Oldham boss has been described as an "utter shambles"but Lemsagam rejected suggestions he was to blame.He said: "I was away for something like three weeks, 21 days. How can I interfere with his job when I am away in Dubai seeing my family?"The only time I talked to him [Scholes] was about a player and whether to keep him or not. He told me he was happy to let him go."As chairman and as the owner, I am allowed to talk to some of the players if we don't need them, to try and find some solution."Will Scholes ever manage again?The Sunday Supplement panel discuss Paul Scholes’ short-lived spell with Oldham and his future prospects in management.The Sunday Supplement panel discuss Paul Scholes’ short-lived spell with Oldham and his future prospects in managementLemsagam described reports about players washing their own kit and the team bus not turning up as "not true" and is planning legal action."I have all the documents here," he said. "You will see it is a lie and is damaging the club."I am looking at this with my lawyer because I am not going to let someone write lies about the club."Lemsagam said the Oldham supporters were the main reason he got involved with the club and claims to have spent over £5m since taking charge.The former football agent wants to forge a better relationship with supporters by electing a member of the fans' trust to the board of directors."We want someone to represent the fans, to tell them what's going on because I'm happy to share everything," he said."I have nothing to hide."
No fewer than 60 people died in a head-on collision between two passenger buses on a highway in Ghana on Friday, emergency workers said on Friday.Kintampo Municipal Fire Commander, Ankomah Twene said the incident occurred in Ampoma town in Ghana’s Bono East Region, NAN reports“It took the fire service about 30 minutes to put out the fire that engulfed the vehicles as a result of the collision,’’ he added.According to Twene, some of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition, adding that several survivors of the crash have been transported to nearby hospitals.The cause of the crash was not yet known as at press time.Serious road accidents are recurrent in Ghana, as well as other African countries, often due to high speed, technical problems with vehicles and poor road conditions.
Chadian soldiersAccording to security sources in Chad, 23 soldiers have been killed by Boko Haram jihadists in one of the deadliest of such attacks in the country.The attack occurred in Dangdala near Lake Chad, an area where Boko Haram is active.The Islamists are largely based in Nigeria, but stage regular raids into neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger.Chadian troops serve in a regional task force fighting Boko Haram, BBC report.
China’s Defence Ministry on Friday accused its U.S. counterpart of deliberately seeking to hype up the threat from China and other nations to justify its own military expenditure.The ministry, however, called the move short-sighted and dangerous.U.S. President Donald Trump’s $750 billion defence spending request to Congress is the largest ever in dollar terms, though not after being adjusted for inflation.A media report said that the $750 billion is meant to counter the growing strength of the Chinese and Russian militaries.By comparison, China this month unveiled a hike of 7.5 per cent in defence spending for the year, to 1.19 trillion Yuan ($177 billion), though many experts and diplomats say the real figure is probably far higher.However, China denied it.In a statement, China’s Defence Ministry reiterated its standard line about being committed to a peaceful path, and said the U.S. loved to talk up the “China threat theory”.“We have noted that when the U.S. Defence Department is fighting for military spending, it always likes petty niggling, trying to get even more benefit for itself by exaggerating the threat posed by other countries.“This is short-sighted and extremely dangerous,” it added.It urged the U.S. to cast aside Cold War thinking and take steps to promote the healthy and stable development of two-way ties between the two militaries.The two countries frequently say they are committed to a sound military-to-military relationship, however, their armed forces have seen some tense stand-offs in recent years.Media report made reference to the disputed South China Sea, where the U.S. Navy conducts freedom of navigation patrols.China is also deeply opposed to U.S. arms sales to self-ruled and democratic Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its sacred territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary.According to a report, the Trump administration has approved the sales of more F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan,Meanwhile, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said the government had already lodged “stern representations” with the U.S.
Mr Joe Utomi, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Delta, has said that the dwindling fortunes in the global oil market has forced many oil-producing nations to turn to agriculture as alternative source of revenue.The commissioner said this on Friday in a keynote address he presented at the Nigeria Agroprenures Forum (NAF) Agribusiness Summit 2019 in Asaba.He said that keying into agriculture had become imperative to sustain human existence and the socio-economic development of any nation.According to him, agriculture is key to human existence and the socio-economic development of any nation.He said, “It is a well known fact that the dwindling fortune of oil revenue globally has forced many nations to turn to agriculture as alternative and the situation is not different in Delta.”The commissioner further said that the state government had made great impact in the lives of many youths and women through agriculture.He said that government’s agricultural programmes and projects included oil palm development, rice production value chain, cassava production and processing, livestock production and agricultural extension.He said: “Agricultural sector has made tremendous progress and is key in achieving the “SMART Agenda” of Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration.“Most of the agricultural programmes and projects executed in the state have always been on value chain addition to to our farmers, food security and socio-economic well being of the citizens in general.“Through agricultural projects and programmes, several youths and women have been encouraged, trained and empowered to become great farmers and Agro-entrepreneurs in the state.”Utomi advised participants at the summit to take the lectures seriously to enable them to leverage on available opportunities in agriculture and agribusinesses to better their lot.He thanked the organisers of the event for coming to Delta to enhance the capacity of the farmers and state government’s relationship with them.In an address of welcome, the NAF President, Mr Ayodele Farinde, said that the body, which is a professional network of agribusiness practitioners, shared agribusiness opportunities and also learnt good practices and management to enable members to earn good income.According to him, NAF has had group meetings and training workshops in Lagos State and Ogun and encourages the creation and emergence of many cooperatives, partnership and collaborations in agribusinesses.“As a result, more than 200 agribusiness ventures and expertise have been birthed across Nigeria.“Delta government has set the record for leading the sponsorship of first summit by NAF today.Farinde described the theme of the one-day summit, “Harnessing Value Chain Development for Agriculture and Farmers Income Development,” as apt “because economic prosperity of a nation lies in the level of value addition it has deployed.”He said that the summit was structured to help stakeholders in three key areas, such as optimisation of agricultural value chain, strengthening food security and creating more job opportunities.News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that lectures were delivered on rice value chain, key to success in poultry processing, agro-economy development and strategy, among others.
Okafor Ofiebor/Port HarcourtAn aide of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Kenneth Opusingi, arrested by soldiers has been released.Opusingi is the Chairman, Rivers State Petroleum Taskforce whose wife, Mrs Opusingi, led other women on a peaceful protest to the headquarters of 6 Division of the Nigerian Army on Thursday, to demand for his freedom.The freedom of Kenneth Opusingi from the barracks of the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, was confirmed by his brother, HRH Hope Daminabo Dan Opusingi (JP), the Paramount ruler of the Opu-Kula in Kula of Akuku-Toru local government area in a press statement.He, however, lamented that the joy of the family was short lived, as the governor’s aide has been transferred to the state Headquarters of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, in Port Harcourt.He frowned at his detention at the SARS headquarters despite subsisting court orders granting him freedom. He has spent about a month in detention.“Kenneth Opusingi has just been released by the GOC 6 Division Nigeria Army and transferred to SARS after one month of his detention. This action of the GOC is in flagrant disobedience of the rule of law and court order on display,” he stated.Women protesters in Port Harcourt demanding the release of OpusingiHe expressed appreciation to the National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, Rivers state Chapter as a body, especially its women wing, the Chairman, Amb. Chijioke Ihunwo and the Hon. Akuro Tobins, Hon Commissioner for Youths for a successful protest.Scores of women in solidarity with Mrs Kenneth Opusingi, and the Women’s wing of hte National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, Rivers state chapter, with its Chairman, Mr Chijioke Ihunwo, on Thursday staged a peaceful protest to the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army to demand for the unconditional release of Mr Kenneth Opusingi.The women were received by top officers of the 6 Division and the detained Kenneth was brought out for them to see.Our Correspondent learnt that he was released to SARS officers later in the night, according to the his brother.The Army had declared Kenneth Opusingi and Rowland Sekibo, Chairman of Akuku-Toru local government wanted, accusing them of being behind the attack on a detachment of soldiers on the eve of the presidential election where a Lieutenant was killed in an ambush in Abonnema.
Mohammed Babandede, Comptroller-General of ImmigrationThe Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has deported four Ghanaian nationals for violating provisions of the Immigration Act and Regulations.The Comptroller-General of NIS, Mr Muhammad Babandede, said this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by Mr Sunday James, the Public Relations Officer of the service.Babandede said that the deportation order was authorised by the Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau.“This is in line with the powers vested on the Honourable Minister of Interior in Section 45(1) and (2) of the Immigration Act 2015.“The order which was issued in the interest of the public affects three males and a female.“They are: Florence Donkur, Simon Gyan, Yeboah Collins and Alhaji Isa.“They were deported to their country of origin via Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja,” the statement quoted Babandede without specifying the infraction committed by the Ghanaians.He encouraged regular migrants in the country to be law abiding.The comptroller-general reaffirmed the commitment of the service toward enforcement of relevant laws whenever the need arose.
Babajide ObanikoroMr Babajide Obanikoro, an All Progressives Congress (APC) Eti-Osa Federal Constituency, Lagos, House of Representatives-elect, says he will sponsor bills that will check illegal dredging in Nigeria, especially in his state.Obanikoro in Lagos said that sanity had to be restored in the dredging industry.He said that “people dredge indiscriminately without any laws in place to check them”.He added that when he assumes office, he would push a bill that would strenghten the laws that govern dredging in his constituency.Obanikoro said that the bill would bring sanity and respect to the dredging industry in the country.He also said that the motion that he would sponsor directly was the way to create wind breakers on the ocean in Lagos.The politician said that before now the water used to be about 18,00 metres but has been reduced to 700 metres from the major road to the lagoon.Obanikoro said that the space had reduced due to the activities of sea breakers and the water had been encroaching on the people’s habitation.He noted that this needed to be attended to and the sea breakers must be stopped in order to prevent the waters from encroaching.Obanikoro said that he was also interested in the agriculture sector especially, the “Tilapia fish” that he was into.He said that a lot of Tilapia fish sold in Nigeria were imported from China.The House of Reps-elect said that he would also look for a way to moderate it in such a way that it doesn’t kill the Tilapia business and then we would make it a front liner in Nigeria.Obanikoro also said that he would deliver on all his electoral campaign promises which included helping struggling parents to transport their children to and from school, payments for the senior secondary school final examinations (WAEC, NECO and JAMB) and securing admission for students into higher institutions of learning.
Gov Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia StateGov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia says the state government will begin to clampdown on substandard schools, which do not have facilities like its model schools.Ikpeazu disclosed this on Friday after inspecting work at Abayi Umuocham Primary School and Osusu-Amaukwa Community Primary School, which were among the four model schools built by the state government.“I mentioned quite early in 2015 that I was not going to bother myself about infrastructure, especially outdoor infrastructure in most schools because as at that time, I had no good example of a school.“And now, having put up four model schools, I now have a good example of a model school, and now I ask everybody whether you are a proprietor of schools or in the public space, to go and see the model schools we have built and take a cue.“We must have adequate playground for all kinds of sports and Inter-House sports, which will be taken very seriously.“We are going to go to grassroots sports development and make sure we groom them from there; so it is going to take the front burner and I tell you we are going to be very serious about that.“This is the time we are going to clampdown on sub-standard schools; there cannot be any school in a flat.“You must show us premises, conveniences for teachers and for pupils; so the minimum standard will be these model schools,” he said.The governor said he would ensure every local government got a model school after the completion of the first four he built.He stressed that any school his administration built “which is not fit and proper” for his own children would not “be fit and proper” for any Abia child.He said that the model schools were coming with ultra-modern laboratories, e-libraries powered by solar, and premises for teachers’ residences.He noted that the teachers’ residences was needed to “create a semblance of an academic environment where teachers and students can interact 24/7.”Ikpeazu said that the government would look into the possibility of securing the porous schools premises using Abia Vigilante Services to protect the schools and their equipment.
AtikuBy Kazeem UgbodagaThe Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential candidate in the last election, Atiku Abubakar has hailed the victory of Senator Ademola Adeleke at the Osun State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.The tribunal had on today (Friday) declared Adeleke winner of the governorship election held in Osun State last year.Gboyega Oyetola of the APC was declared winner of the governorship poll, but Adeleke challenged the outcome of the poll at the tribunal.Reacting to the judgment on his twitter handle, Atiku said the judiciary had proven to be the last hope of the common man and defender of democracy.“Truly, the judiciary is the last hope of the common man and the defender of our democracy. Congratulations Sen. Ademola Adeleke,” Atiku said.
The Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal has declared Ademola Adeleke of the PDP as the winner of the controversial state election.The tribunal also declared the September 27 rerun election in the state illegal.The three-man panel of the Tribunal gave the judgement on Friday following the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ademola Adeleka against the All Progressives Congress, APC and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola.The Tribunal also ruled that PDP and Adeleke proved that it was the state Returning Officer who cancelled the results in 7 Polling Units, adding that the petitioners also proved that the Returning Officer has no power to cancel election results of a polling unit.The Tribunal also deducted 2,029 votes from APC scores and 1,246 votes from PDP votes in 17 polling units where there was non compliance.Delivering the judgement, the panel had a split decision. While two members (majority judgment) ruled in favour of PDP and Ademola; the chairman, Justice Ibrahim Sirajo (minority judgment), ruled in favour of APC and Oyetola.
Ahead of the gubernatorial supplementary election in Plateau State, a Deputy Inspector-General of Police on electoral duty in the state, Taiwo Lakunu, on Thursday said that there would be total restriction of movement in the state during the polls scheduled to hold on Saturday, March 23, 2019.Lakunu, who is in the state to supervise the election, disclosed this during a lecture for Police personnel ahead of the polls.The polls are to hold in 40 polling units cutting across nine local government areas of the state.While commending the Police for the success achieved in the last election, the DIG said that no stone would be left unturned towards ensuring adequate peace and security throughout the exercise.The DIG maintained that adequate preparations had been made to take care of flash-points, adding that no form of thuggery would be tolerated.“We are not going to allow ballot boxes to be snatched; we will not allow card readers to be snatched. We are ready to deal with every electoral misdeed,” he said.Earlier in an address, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Isaac Akinmoyede, had commended the personnel for being outstanding during the last election, and called on them to do more in the course of the upcoming supplementary polls.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said candidates who are yet to receive notification for its Mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) may not have indicated interest at the point of UTME registration.The Head, Media and Information of the board, Dr Fabian Benjamin, made the clarification in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.NAN reports that, of about 1.9 million candidates who registered for the 2019 UTME, which is computer-based, a total of 157,631 indicated interest for the mock as at the close of UTME registration on Feb. 21.“We have concluded plans for the conduct of this Mock UTME scheduled to hold on April 1.“Some candidates have been saying they are yet to receive and print their notification slips for this mock examination. I think that has nothing to do with the board because all those who indicated interest to participate have all been notified.“Again, some of them might have registered late. However, the examination is optional, and I do not think there is any cause to worry,’’ he said.Printing of notification slip of the main UTME will begin on April 2, while the examination will start from April 11.
With the general elections now over, it seems a good time to reflect on one of the major success stories of the current government which affects every Nigerian one way or the other – the Treasury Single Account (TSA) initiative.The Federal Government’s TSA continues to be celebrated as one of the most significant initiatives undertaken by any government in Nigeria to promote accountability, transparency and fight corruption in the management of public funds. According to the current administration, TSA implementation saves the government a whopping ₦24.7 billion monthly and greatly enhances government revenue collection.Despite its achievements, the policy has met with mixed reactions from the public, partly due to a lack of knowledge on the subject, poor stakeholder engagement, and inadequate sensitisation by government.Below are facts to further help public understanding of this key initiative:1. History of the TSAThe Treasury Single Account is a policy recommended by the World Bank for the effective management of national cash assets by ensuring that all government payments and revenue collections are managed through a single bank account or a set of linked accounts, which promotes accountability and transparency in the management of public funds.In 2011, the Federal Government (under President Goodluck Jonathan) mandated the commencement of the TSA initiative in Nigeria. A pilot commenced in 2012 on TSA payments (outbound transactions only) with just over 100 Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs). This was later extended to additional MDAs.In 2015, President Muhammad Buhari’s administration mandated the full and comprehensive implementation of TSA across all Federal Government MDAs without any exception.2. The Current Cost of Transactions into the TSAThe Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in a circular of November 2018, announced the new price regime for Federal Government’s TSA thus:· Any payment to the Federal Government at any commercial bank, through Internet Banking, Mobile Wallet, and Agents would attract a flat fee of N150 (Plus VAT of ₦7.50K) irrespective of the amount being paid. (Just like you pay a flat fee of N65 for ATM withdrawal irrespective of the amount withdrawn)· Payers who choose to make payment with a debit card will pay the same flat fee of ₦150 plus 0.75% of the amount being paid, subject to a maximum of ₦1,200 per transaction.3. Who Bears the CostThe Federal Government bore the cost of all TSA payment and collection transactions since inception. However, in November 2018 the government decided to transfer the cost of revenue collections to payers, whilst the government continues to bear the cost of payments transactions.4. Difference Between the Current Pricing Regime and the Previous One?In the previous regime, government took on the responsibility for payment and revenue transaction costs. In the current regime, government bears the cost of transactions made to its vendors, but for payments to government (Government Collections), the payer settles the transaction charge.5. Payment Options Currently Available for Transactions into the TSAPayers are able to easily generate invoices for transactions online and make payment to government through various channels including branches of all Commercial banks, select microfinance banks, Internet banking portals, POS terminal, cards on Web, Mobile Wallets, USSD and collection agents.6. Who Government Pays Transaction Processing Fees toThe Government is unable to provide the required infrastructure on its own and has therefore put in place an ecosystem that includes a multitude of certified and regulated service providers – Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), commercial banks, card schemes, mobile money operators, agents and licensed payment solutions service providers (PSSPs). to make FGN payments and collection transactions happen.The fees charged for FGN TSA transactions go towards remunerating this large group of service providers, to compensate them for their investment and ongoing service delivery.7. How to Know How Much to Pay for any Government ServiceA payer can easily go to the website of any MDA to identify the item to be paid for and generate an electronic invoice or visit the concerned MDA to obtain an invoice which clearly indicates the amount to be paid for the relevant item/service.Each invoice carries a unique reference for easy tracking and accounting – this is popularly known as the RRR. No citizen is expected to make any payment to Government without an RRR number.8. How Receipts of Payments are ObtainedEvery TSA payment is evidenced by an automatically generated electronic receipt provided to the payer at the point of transaction by the bank or sent to the payer’s registered email address. It is very important for a payer not to leave a payment transaction point without obtaining a payment receipt that bears the RRR number of the invoice that led to the payment.This is what will be checked by the MDA before providing service. It is also one of the checks and balances introduced into the TSA payment process to strengthen accountability and transparency.
Nigerian controversial musician, Charles Oputa A.K.A Charley boy, has revealed that he was paid by Festus Keyamo, who was the Director of Strategic Communications of the 2019 re-election bid of the President of Nigeria, to attack the presidential candidate of the People Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar.“When Festus Keyamo came to discuss Deji’s matter with me, he heard my new song where I was dissing Atiku, i could observe he was calculating with his head on what to do with the song. I don’t care collecting money if he wants to use my work, he definately paid for it,” he said in the Roots TV video.When quizzed on the figure of the amount paid, he said: “he paid in eight, nine figures. Everybody wanted a part of the money including Deji, i don’t mind sharing it.”
Prophet TB Joshua of the Synagogue Church of All NationsBy Akin KuponiyiA geotechnical expert, and a defence witness, Ebenezer Ologuntoye has told a Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere, Southwest Nigeria that the foundation of the Synagogue of All Nation Church, (SCOAN) did not fail.At least, 115 people died in the Synagogue church on September 12, 2014 when the six-storey building collapsed.The defence witness, who is a member of the Nigerian Geotechnical Association in his evidence told the court that findings on the test carried out on the collapsed building revealed that the foundation of the building did not fail and that the baring capability was adequate.The witness made this revelation in his testimony before the trial Judge, Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo.The defendants, Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun alongside their companies – Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company and Jandy Trust Ltd are standing trial on a 110-count charge of involuntary manslaughter.Led in evidence by the defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo SAN, the witness, Ologuntoye said he belongs to a Non-Governmental Organization known as ‘Building Collapse and Protection Guild’ (BCPG) that he is interested in reducing incidents of collapse building to the bearest minimum.The witness told Justice Lawal-Akapo that he had worked with renowned organizations in Nigeria and in the diaspora.Recounting his work experience, he said he had worked with a Polish company, Naeimor International, Ekiti State Service Local Government Commission, Foundation Development Limited in London , Lakeside Park, London, among others.According to Ologuntoye, he got to know about the collapse of SCOAN building through BCPG when he was selected as a member of the committee saddled with the responsibility of investigating possible cause of the collapsed building.“As a geotechnical engineer, I was expected to investigate what happened to the foundation, the soil on which the foundation stands was okay.“I investigated the soil using two major equipment, namely: the geotechnical borehole and a dutch -comb, an electrical testing machine. Both equipment were gotten from BCPG.“Sample of the soil gotten through the borehole test was sent to the University of Lagos Laboratory for analysis while the dutch-comb test result was gotten on the spot of the test and it was signed by all parties at the site.” The parties that signed the report includes representative of SCOAN, Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory and the Corona Court Representative,” he said.The witness further told the court that he compared and analyzed the result sent by the UNILAG Laboratory with the dutch-comb report.“My findings on both reports show that the foundation did not fail and the barring capacity is adequate.“I wrote the report on the final analysis of the test carried out on SCOAN and submitted to BCPG.The defence counsel, Mr Olalekan, SAN tendered the report of the test to the court and it was admitted in evidence.Meanwhile, a subpoenaed witness, George Opeoluwa, the president of the NGO BCPG had earlier tendered the report before the court.Justice Lawal-Akapo, thereafter, adjourned the matter till May 16, 17 for cross-examination of the witness.Lagos State Government had charged Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun alongside their companies – Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company and Jandy Trust Ltd before the court.They are facing a 110-count charge of involuntary manslaughter said to contravene Section 222 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 201A fifth defendant, the Registered Trustees of SCOAN is facing a count of building without approval.
Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s new Prime Minister.The Muslim call to prayer sounded out over Christchurch and around New Zealand on Friday, as thousands gathered to remember the 50 people killed by a lone gunman at two Mosques.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern joined about 20,000 people standing quietly at Hagley Park, in front of the Al NoorMosque where most of the victims were killed during Friday prayers earlier.“New Zealand mourns with you. We are one,” she said in a short speech, followed by two minutes of silence.Ardern, who swiftly denounced the shooting as terrorism, has announced a ban on military-style semi-automatic and assault rifles.The country is under heightened security alert since the attack, and police said on Friday they were investigating a threat made againstArdern on Twitter.New Zealand Herald reported that a Twitter post containing a photo of a gun and captioned “You are next” was sent to the prime minister.Reuters could not verify this independently.The report said the account was suspended.Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, has been charged with one murder following the Christchurch attack and was remanded without a plea.He is due back in court on April 5, when police said he was likely to face more charges.Most victims of New Zealand’s worst mass shooting were migrants or refugees from countries such as Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Somalia, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.“We are broken-hearted, but we are not broken. We are alive, we are together, we are determined to not let anyone divide us,” Imam Gamal Fouda told the crowd at the Al Noor mosque, many wearing headscarves in support of the grieving Muslim community.“To the families of the victims, your loved ones did not die in vain. Their blood has watered the seeds of hope,” he said in prayers broadcastnationally.Tens of thousands of people paid their respects around the country with some forming human chains in front of mosques.Others said silent prayers at schools, cafes and even offices.Relatives and other mourners thronged into a Christchurch cemetery where 26 victims of the attack, and one person who died in a car crash that was unrelated to the mosque shooting, were laid to rest in a mass burial.“This is a special janazah. We don’t do these every day,” one mourner said over a microphone, referring to an Islamic funeral prayer.“We don’t bury 27 of our brothers and sisters every day.”The first to be laid to rest was Naeem Rashid, who was hailed as a hero, killed trying to tackle the gunman at the Al Noor mosque.Ardern, surrounded by ministers and security officials at Hagley Park, wore a black headscarf and a black suit.Female police at the park also wore headscarves, with a red rose on their uniforms.In a powerful speech that lasted about 20 minutes, the imam, Fouda, said through its love and compassion, New Zealand was unbreakable.“We are here in our hundreds and thousands unified for one purpose that hate will be undone, and love will redeem us,” he said.He commended Ardern for her compassion, saying: “It has been a lesson for world leaders.”Fouda also denounced Islamophobia, saying it had killed people.“Islamophobia is real. It is a targeted campaign to influence people to dehumanise and irrationally fear Muslims.“To fear what we wear, to fear the choice of food we eat, to fear the way we pray and to fear the way we practice our faith,” he said.Muslims account for just over 1 per cent of New Zealand’s population.Many women wore headscarves in New Zealand as a sign of support to the community, and a #headscarfforharmony movement was trendingon Twitter.“We are wearing headscarves showing our support, love and solidarity, and hope that by everybody doing this it will demonstrate to Muslimwomen that they are one with us,’’ said Robyn Molony 65, with a group of friends wearing headscarves at Hagley Park.Residents of Christchurch are still recovering from a devastating earthquake that hit in 2011, killing 185 and injuring thousands.“Since the earthquakes, we’ve gone through a lot as a city and we’re a lot more caring and looking out for one another,” said James Sheehan, 62.
Kenyan President Uhuru KenyattaKenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday suspended his social media accounts citing infiltration by unauthorised individuals.Kenyatta has been active on social media platforms, Twitter and Facebook, where he has millions of followers, earning the tag ‘digital president’.“On the account of unauthorised access to official social media handles of the President of the Republic of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, all official social media handles of the president have been suspended.“Although remedial measures were being taken to restore them,’’ Nzioka Waita, State House Chief of Staff, said in a statement posted on social media.Kenyatta, before the suspension, had posted on Twitter and Facebook his resolve to fight corrupt officials noting he will not spare even his friends, a message that generated heated reactions.The Kenyan leader has pledged to reinvigorate the war against graft during his second and final term in office.
One of the injured people at the chemical plant in eastern China being taken away by medical personnelAbout 47 people have died and more than 600 people are receiving medical treatment following the huge explosion at a chemical plant in eastern China late on Thursday, in one of the country’s worst industrial accidents in recent years.So powerful was the blast that it triggered a small earthquake felt several kilometres away, knocking down several factory building and smashing windows of homes.Among the 600 people in hospital following the accident at the industrial park in Yancheng, Jiangsu province, at least 90 are seriously injured. City officials had previously said that at least 12 people were killed and 30 injured in the explosion.“We knew we’d be blown up one day,” said one 60-year-old woman surnamed Xiang.She said she had harboured concerns about safety and pollution at the site for a long time.Hundreds of rescuers have been dispatched to the scene, local authorities said, and more than 3,000 people have been evacuated from the blast site.The blaze from the explosion has been extinguished, said local officials Friday, after firefighters battled raging flames through the night. Three chemical tanks and five other areas had been on fire.Authorities, who are investigating the cause of the accident, said an unspecified number of people were taken into police custody.The chemical facility involved in the explosion belonged to Tianjiayi Chemical, a firm with 195 employees established in 2007.According to local officials, the Jiangsu-based company mainly produced raw chemical materials, including anisole, a highly flammable compound.The force of the explosion blew out windows and dented metal garage doors of buildings as far as four kilometres (2.5 miles) from the site, said AFP reporters at the scene.Nearby residents — many of them elderly — have started sweeping up glass, and in some cases, seemed to have abandoned their homes entirely. Black smoke could still be seen rising from the chemical plant on Friday morning before dissipating.On the road where Xiang lived, consisting of basic two-storey homes, almost all the windows and some window frames were blown in.The woman was sitting at home when the explosion occurred and said the force rocked her house and badly damaged her front door.There was no immediate government help, she said, and residents were clearing the street themselves.Images broadcast on local media showed how the blast toppled factory buildings, trapping workers inside. State broadcaster CCTV showed rescuers pulling a survivor from the wreckage.Workers covered in blood were seen running out of the factory, said official news agency Xinhua on Thursday, citing witnesses.An aerial view of the blast area showed a large swath of destruction in the industrial park, where multiple fires had initially raged.Deadly industrial accidents are common in China, where safety regulations are often poorly enforced.In November, a gas leak at a plant in the northern Chinese city of Zhangjiakou that will host the 2022 Winter Olympics killed 24 people and injured 21 others.A report published by local authorities last month revealed that the Chinese chemical firm responsible for the accident had concealed information and misled investigators.In 2015, China saw one of its worst industrial accidents when giant chemical blasts in the northern port city of Tianjin killed at least 165 people.The explosions caused more than $1 billion in damage and sparked widespread anger at a perceived lack of transparency over the accident’s causes and its environmental impact.
https://bc.marfeelcache.com/statics/i/ps/cdn.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/02063642/Ademola-Adeleke.jpg Published March 22, 2019 Ade Adesomoju, Abuja The Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja has dismissed the separate objections filed by the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission against the petition challenging their victory at the September 2018 election. The Peoples Democratic Party and its governorship candidate in the election had filed the petition urging the tribunal to declared that he polled the highest lawful votes and should be declared the winner. But Oyetola, APC and INEC had filed their notices of preliminary objection contending among others that the petition was incompetent and that the court lacked jurisdiction. Delivering the lead ruling of the three-man tribunal, Justice Peter Obi, held that the objections were misconceived and struck them out. The tribunal added that the tribunal had jurisdiction to hear the petition. There are two other reserved rulings the tribunal is to deliver before delving into the merit of the petition. The Justice Ibrahim Sirajo-led three-man bench began delivering judgment at 10.33am on Friday
One of the burnt buses. Photo: BBC/Anas Sabit-KaskiyaIt was weeping and wailing on Friday morning as 60 people were reportedly burnt to death when two buses collided in Southern Ghana.Ghana police confirmed that 60 people were killed in the tragedy, which occurred around 2.00am on Friday.“The vehicles were travelling in separate directions when the collision occurred,” police commander Joseph Antwi Gyawu told AFP.“At least 60 people have been confirmed dead and one of the buses caught fire with the other seriously mangled,” he added.The buses were each carrying about 50 passengers at the time of the crash.Emergency services were at the scene, including firefighters to put out the blazing vehicles.Kwame Arhin, a doctor at the Kintampo Government Hospital, said 28 people were being treated for injuries.“Seven out of the 28 passengers who were rushed here are in critical condition,” Arhin told AFP.“We have referred four. Most of them had head injuries. I’ve seen a few being taken to the morgue,” he added.
Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola, aka DJ Cuppy has taken to social media to share a rare new photos of herself and mother, Nana Otedola posing together.DJ Cuppy, the rich daughter of oil magnate, Femi Otedola is known on socia media for showing off expensive cars, clothes and shoes.Sharing the photos, she wrote: Got it from my Mama! #FamilyFirst #BaddestOutOfBeirutSee more photos below:
Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) on Friday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the supplementary elections on Saturday.Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, TMG, Chairperson, in a statement on Friday, said INEC must ensure that the mistakes inherent in the earlier conducted governorship elections in the affected states are not repeated.It also called on all political parties to refrain from any actions that will further overheat the polity or jeopardize the exercise.It reads: “Security agencies, particularly the police must be reminded that their ultimate responsibility and loyalty is to the people; therefore, they must conduct themselves in a manner that will not in any way compromise the sanctity of the elections.“As people, we must understand that nothing can be achieved in an atmosphere of violence and lawlessness; we must all work together to prevent any future violence.“However, INEC and the police must ensure that all indicted or arrested Electoral Offenders in the last exercise are brought to justice to ensure deterrence. As a matter of urgency, TMG strictly recommends to the commission as it prepares for the supplementary elections the following:“That its personnel indicted of any wrongdoing in the last elections are not included in the supplementary elections“That materials are delivered on time to the affected Polling Units.“That Voters are accredited and allowed to vote on time with due regards to the allotted start-time of voting“That voters with genuine Permanent Voter Card (PVC) are not denied in the process“No wilful disenfranchisement of duly registered Voters.“We call on Nigerians to come out en mass to exercise their franchise, protect their mandate as doing so will only guarantee good governance and service delivery from the government.”