GIST OF THE DAY

Premier League: Southampton v Manchester City Rock bottom of the table and four points (and five goals in the plus column of the ledger) from safety, Southampton could scarcely welcome more daunting opposition to St Mary’s as they try to claw themselves out of the deep trouble in which they find themselves. Currently playing under their third manager of the season in Alex Telles, Saints have taken just five points from the last 18 available and will do very well indeed to add to that tally against a Manchester City team that sit second behind Arsenal and have won seven consecutive games in all competitions, scoring 27 goals in the process. While Manchester City won the corresponding fixture at the Etihad Stadium 4-0 what seems a lifetime ago in early October, Southampton subsequently caused quite the seismic shock by knocking Pep Guardiola’s team out of the Carabao Cup in a victory masterminded by Nathan Jones, who has since been fired. Southampton can certainly take heart from that de...

Davido, the world-famous Nigerian music superstar, has made a revelation about his colleague, Wizkid. He revealed that Wizkid called him every week after the death of his son, Ifeanyi. Davido made this known in an interview on Ebro in the Morning Show on Hot 97FM, New York, which was shared on Saturday. He stated that he and Wizkid had a 12-year rift and that they only began talking after his son died. Speaking in the video, he said, “With Wiz, over the years we had a rift, for 12 years we had a rift up until recently he chatted up and I am seeing the positivity. “I am seeing the change in the industry a little bit because everybody is calming down especially with my situation, the tragic situation that happened, he called me every week since it happened.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by gistoftheday.com (@gistoftheday)

A businessman in Akwa Ibom State, Ubokubom Nyah, has dragged the state government to court over alleged non-payment of consultancy fees on a project executed. Joined in suit number HT/2/2023 instituted at State High Court sitting in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area were the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, and Landsea Construction and Engineering Limited as defendants. According to particulars of the case obtained by our correspondent in Uyo on Saturday, the plaintiff is suing the defendants over the alleged refusal to pay his consultancy fee which was shortchanged to the tune of N10,279,391 for service rendered. Counsel to the applicant, Andem Ndem, in a motion on notice filed on March 7, 2023, prayed the court for an order compelling the defendants to pay the applicant the sum of N10,279,391 which they had admitted in a letter dated April 27, 2021. He also prayed to the court for an order compelling the Ist defendant to cause the 2nd defendant to pay his client t...

The United States is preparing long-term assistance for the Ivory Coast, Benin and Togo as concerns rise that jihadist violence in the Sahel could spill into coastal West Africa, officials said. Speaking to AFP, the officials said Western support was also critical to halting Russia’s Wagner mercenary group which has made major inroads in violence-torn Sahel countries, including by allying with Mali’s military junta. Vice President Kamala Harris, visiting Ghana last month as part of a growing US push in Africa, promised $100 million over 10 years to reinforce resilience in coastal West Africa. State Department officials are also looking at additional funding including from the counter-terrorism budget. In a new global strategy to prevent conflict and promote stability, President Joe Biden’s administration identified coastal West Africa as a priority for the coming decade. The report, released in March, said that the Sahel to the immediate north had experienced more terrorist attacks tha...

Manchester United moved ever closer to a return to the Champions League next season as Scott McTominay and Anthony Martial struck to deepen Everton’s relegation fears in a 2-0 win at Old Trafford. Victory takes Erik ten Hag’s men up to third and opens up a six-point cushion over fifth-placed Tottenham. But the three points came at a cost as Marcus Rashford hobbled off nine minutes from time, which could prove to be a major blow in the Red Devils quest for more silverware this season in the FA Cup and Europa League. Only Jordan Pickford and some wayward United finishing prevented Everton from being on the end of a hiding even before the half-time whistle as the Toffees failed to do their bid to beat the drop any good. Sean Dyche’s men remain outside the relegation zone only thanks to goal difference and could fall into the bottom three should other results go against them on Saturday. Ten Hag bemoaned his side’s reliance on Rashford for goals after the England international hit his 28th...

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, has said that “we must not allow those who seek to divide us to pretend as if our problems are a result of another ethnic or religious group.” The former Vice President, who joined Nigerian leaders to celebrate Christians on this year’s Easter, stated that the commemoration was a time for deep reflection as it marked the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and his victory over death. “It is a time to reach out to our brothers and sisters in need. “It is also a time for all of us — regardless of faith or ethnicity — to come together to pray for the peace of our nation. We must all remain constant in our efforts to promote unity — across all lines — because united, our nation remains stronger, and we can thrive as a people,” Atiku said in a statement posted on his verified Facebook page on Saturday. “Our shared experiences bring us to the conclusion that no matter what the forces of evil can do, we, as...

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Saturday, condemned the recent killings in Benue State which left over 46 people dead in the Umogidi community of Entekpa-Adoka in Otukpo Local Government Area of the state. He also directed the secret services, police and military commanders to enhance surveillance on every front and immediately review the security management in the affected areas. He urged the aggrieved parties to embrace efforts to end the “extreme violence.” “The entire nation stands united in the fight against the forces of terror and evil,” Buhari said in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu. In the statement titled ‘President Buhari calls for end to extreme violence in Benue’, the president condemned the use of terrorism as a tool in inter-communal conflicts, urging that the attackers be found and dealt with swiftly under the law. He also conveyed his sympathy to the families of those who lost their lives ...

Seventeen state governors will hand over to their successors on May 29, 2023 and retire into lives of luxury with generous benefits for their services to their respective states even amidst economic crises, mounting debts and unhappy and underpaid workers and pensioners. Governors Nyesom Wike, Ifeanyi Okowa, Udom Emmanuel, Abdullahi Ganduje, Badaru Abubakar, Bello Matawalle, Ben Ayade, Okezie Ikpeazu and David Umahi of Rivers, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Kano, Jigawa, Zamfara, Cross River, Abia and Ebonyi states are set to benefit from generous retirement/pension benefits. Others outgoing governors who will benefit from the largesse are Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Samuel Ortom, Darius Ishaku, Abubakar Bello, Abubakar Bagudu, Nasir El-Rufai, Simon Lalong, Aminu Masari and Aminu Tambuwal of Enugu, Benue, Taraba, Niger, Kebbi, Kaduna, Plateau, Katsina and Sokoto states, respectively. The outgoing governors, most of who will be completing two terms of eight years in office on May 28, will be entitled to gener...

A 20-year-old man, Halifa Hamza has stabbed his elder brother, Usman Hamza to death with scissors in Kano State. The event reportedly took place on Sunday, April 2, 2023, following a fight between the siblings. Their father, Alhaji Hamza, claimed in an interview with Freedom Radio that the younger brother’s donning his older brother’s shirt and pants was the real reason for their argument rather than a cat as was rumored. He said; “The elder brother that was killed (Usman) collected my motorcycle to go and inform his friends that we had organised Iftar for people so that they could come and eat. When he came back, he saw his younger brother with his shirt and trousers. He then asked why he did that, and from there a fight started. The younger one entered the house and brought a pair of scissors and stabbed the older brother on his chest and he died there.” A friend of Halifa, who begged to remain anonymous, claimed that he fled the house as soon as the incident took place. An investiga...

Nigerian singer and human rights activist, Folarin Falana, better known as Falz, has spoken on why he uses his songs to address the excesses of the government. Falz, known for using his music and platform to advocate for social justice issues, recently released a song titled “Yakubu,” calling out the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yabuku over the just concluded elections. In the song, Vector and Falz assert that the just concluded elections were marred by electoral fraud, manipulation, and violence. Speaking on the song in an interview with Arise TV, Falz, who joined the program via Skype from the United Kingdom, explained that he was not abroad because he was afraid of confrontation from state actors over the controversial song. His words, “I knew that was going to come up when you announced that I was doing this from London. Like I said earlier on, this is not the first time, this is not the second time, this is not the third time. “I h...

A Nigerian clergywoman, Anwinli Ojeikere, has shared her experience with her husband, Pastor Ohis Muyiwa Ojeikere, in the early years of their marriage. Anwinli, who has been married to her husband for ten years and run a joint-YouTube channel called ‘The Winlos’, revealed on Twitter that he wanted fresh food cooked every day. She stated that her husband disliked having food refrigerated and then heated up later, and preferred eating fresh food every single day. According to Anwinli, they had to hold a “conference meeting” to discuss the issue before he could adjust to eating refrigerated food. Based on her experience, she encouraged dating couples to discuss about food before getting married. “Initially my hubby didn’t like foods stored in the freezer. He said he wanted fresh food like you cook today and everyday. We had to have a conference meeting and afterwards he adjusted to freezer food. This is actually a topic to discuss before you say I do,” she tweeted. See her tweet below, I...

Infinix Nigeria is set to release a new addition to its HOT Series- the HOT 30 and HOT 30 Play smartphones. The HOT Series is well-known for its attractive entertainment and gaming features, and the HOT 30 and HOT 30 Play are no exception. The HOT 30 series will be introduced in Nigeria with an exciting campus launch event at the University of Lagos on the 13th of April at the Unilag Sports Complex. It promises to be exciting with music performances, special appearances by top artists and celebrities, and fun engagement activities. The StormX train, supported by Google and other brand partners, will move to the University of Abuja, University of Ibadan, and University of Port Harcourt to engage fans and customers. The HOT 30 series offers significant upgrades to its processor, display, charging, and camera features, making it the perfect device for game enthusiasts, young professionals, picture lovers, and anyone focused on the overall performance of their device. Infinix, which prides...

American business magazine, Forbes has released the complete list of the 25 richest people in the world 2023. The list featured Bernard Arnault on the No. 1 spot, followed by Twitter Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk. In its previous list in 2022, Musk was on the No. 1 spot. Forbes described the drop of Musk from the top spot as ” this year’s second-biggest loser”, adding that “Elon Musk, had it worse.” Musk lost his title of the world’s richest person after his pricey purchase of Twitter, which he funded in part by the sale of Tesla shares, helping to spook investors. Musk, who is worth $39 billion less than a year ago, is now No. 2. For Jeff Bezos, fortune knocked him from number. 2 in the world in 2022 to No. 3 this year as Amazon shares crashed by 38 per cent. Also, among the top 25, two billionaires — Zhang Yiming, Changpeng Zhao lost their spots and were unable to make it on the list for this year. Yiming, the founder of Tik Tok-parent Bytedance, dropped one place, from No. 25 t...

The Kaduna government has given an order reinstating 1,288 primary school teachers sacked 10 months ago. This is according to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria. In June 2022, the Kaduna government sacked over 2,000 school teachers in the state for failing a competency test. NAN reports that Hauwa Mohammed, spokesperson of the Kaduna state Universal Basic Education Board (KADSUBEB), announced the development in a statement on Wednesday.

Some angry traders have staged a protest against the government in Lagos State. The traders of Akorede Market in Ijesha along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway who were locked out of the market on Monday have accused the Lagos State government of deliberately locking them out to frustrate their business efforts in the state. A video footage had surfaced showing the traders in their hundreds stranded on Monday as they went to the market in the morning and discovered that the gate was locked, preventing them from accessing the market to do their businesses. Speaking in the video seen by SaharaReporters, a man whose identity was not revealed said they made enquiries and were told that the local government ordered the lock of the market for no reason. The source said, “These traders in Akorede Market at Ijesha Express are stranded outside the gate. On enquiry we were informed that the local government chairman ordered the locking of the market for no reason whatsoever. “It is generally believed ...

Uche Ogbodo, the popular Nigerian actress, has come under heavy criticism on social media. She was slammed online after she slammed a man for insisting a lady who threatened to falsely accuse him of r*pe should be persecuted. Richard Osita had taken to his Instastory to lambast the Nigerian Police for not taking his petition against his blackmailer, Bella Nwoko, seriously. DAILY POST recalls that Osita last weekend, shared a video of his estranged friend, Bella apologising for falsely accusing him of r*pe in 2021 after he called her out on social media. Despite the apology, Osita said he was at the police station to complain against Bella but the officers did not take him seriously because it was a “female on male crime.” Reacting via her Instagram page, Uche Ogbodo slammed Osita for being vindictive and adamant on persecuting his former friend despite her public apology. According to her, the lady only threatened to accuse the man of r*pe and didn’t do it, therefore, Osita has no case...

A referee has landed in trouble for kicking a player who had demanded for a VAR review. Mexico’s football federation (FMF) has now launched an investigation after footage emerged showing the moment the referee appeared to knee a player in the groin during America’s match against Leon on Saturday. Television footage showed referee Fernando Hernandez kneeing Leon midfielder Lucas Romero as he and his teammates angrily demanded a VAR review after America scored an equaliser. The Referees Commission said the results of the investigation would be made public when it is concluded. Despite local media condemning the action, Romero did not call for Hernandez to be punished and said that it was a misunderstanding. “Obviously (referees) are human beings. Many times they can make mistakes and those mistakes end up developing what happened, a lot of misunderstandings,” the Argentine said. “I’m not asking for anything (any form of punishment). He told me it was unintentional. But just that they als...

Ahmed Audi, the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp, has issued a fresh order. He ordered the deployment of 30,000 personnel from its offices across the country to beef up security across the country, ahead of the Easter celebration. Audi gave this order in Abuja, while addressing personnel on the need for effective policing of the nation against any atrocious activities of dangerous elements planning to cause breakdown of law and order. This was contained in a statement signed by the Corps Spokesperson, Odumosu Olusola on Wednesday. The CG directed all Special Forces in the Corps such as the Armed Squad, CG’s Special Intelligence Squad, CG’s Special Anti- vandal monitoring Squad, CG’s Marine monitoring unit, Special Female Squad, Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation, RRS, Agro Rangers, SWAT, K9, Counter Terrorism unit and CBRNE to join forces with the regular officers to ensure a hitch-free celebration across the country. Audi noted “As the Easte...

Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information, has been tackled by the apex Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere. The Minister was, on Wednesday, tackled over his stance that the 2023 general election was credible. Afenifere, in a statement issued by its Secretary-General, Sola Ebiseni, stated that the minister was not sincere in his claims. The group maintained that Mohammed’s plan to give credibility to the elections failed, particularly, given that those he met with in the United States of America were aware of all that happened on February 25 and March 18. The Minister of Information, during a chat with some media organisations in Washington DC, described the elections as the most transparent and authentic in the history of the country. The group also accused Mohammed of deliberately distorting facts, noting that his claims contradicted all that played out at the polls and the cases filed in court. “Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information, falls in this unenviable class with his cu...

Fans have called out Nollywood actress Destiny Etiko for over editing her face while showing off one of her outfits. This is as the actress tried to impress her fans with a new look. Reacting to the photo, many called her out for excessively editing her looks which initially got them confused about her identity. See comments below: One Qwin bliss wrote: Guy tries to leave face wey GOD give you nah😩 the editing is too much Abeg One Mhiz Amikiss wrote: The edit is wack, no vex “Please be editing small small. This one is too much.” One Sunshine commented. Another user wrote, “Yea, she’s pretty, and she got a nice figure too but please, a good should tell her the editing is too much, please 🌚 I didn’t even recognize her until I saw the user name”

The Federal Government, on Wednesday, approved two contracts worth N15.3bn for the supply and installation of information and communication technology components and digital assistance devices ahead of the population and housing census slated for May 3 to 5. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, revealed this to State House Correspondents shortly after this week’s Federal Executive Council meeting at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja. Shehu said, “Among those memos that were okayed today was the award of the contract for the supply and installation of information and communication technology components for the 2023 population census. “The ICT component contract was awarded for about N10.9bn. “Another contract that was approved for the National Population Commission was one for the development and implementation of mobile device management solution for the personnel digital assistance devices to be used for the 2023 population census. Th...

The House of Representatives members-elect of the Peoples Democratic Party, the Labour Party and other opposition parties have formed an alliance ahead of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, with the aim of determining the leadership of the parliament. Against the background of the moves by the ruling All Progressives Party to zone the house leadership, the opposition lawmakers insisted that they have the numbers to override the APC’s plans and do whatever they want. The lawmakers-elect met in Abuja on Tuesday night where they fine-tuned strategies for using their numbers as bargaining power in their negotiations with the speakership aspirants. The PUNCH gathered that the opposition lawmakers-elect, at the meeting, planned to work together to influence the election of the 10th House of Representatives leadership. So far, no fewer than 10 persons have indicated interests in being the speaker of the green chamber. At their Tuesday strategy meeting, the lawmakers-elect unanimo...