The European Union(EU) has announced it would be suspending visas for Russian citizens in an effort to limit border crossings from Russia to the EU as the war in Ukraine continues to escalate.
European foreign ministers reached political consensus to fully suspend the visa facilitation agreement between the European Union and Russia. The agreement will now have to be approved by all member states at the European Council level.
“Since mid of July, we have seen a substantial increase on border crossing from Russia, in the neighboring states. And this has become a security risk for these neighboring states,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said during a press conference in Prague on Wednesday, August 31.
Borrell said that the bloc agreed to significantly reduce the number of new visas issued by EU member states to Russian citizens.
Borrell added that EU member states have seen “many Russians traveling for leisure, shopping, as if no war was raging in Ukraine.”
“We are not business as usual, it cannot be business as usual,” he added.
“It’s going to be more difficult, it’s going to be longer the process. And consequently, the number of new visas will be substantially reduced,” he added
In response, Russia warned the EU of consequences over the suspension.
According to state news agency RIA Novosti, Russia will decide what to do in retaliation.
“Violation, circumvention or withdrawal by the EU from the visa facilitation agreement with Russia won’t be left without consequences. We will decide for ourselves whether the measures will be symmetrical, asymmetric or something that the EU does not expect,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told the news agency.
“If Brussels decides to shoot itself in the foot again, then it is their choice,” he said
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - DECEMBER 02: WizKid performs during the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 at FNB Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100)
Nigerian Grammy award-winning singer, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun popularly known as Wizkid has again made Nigerians proud with his latest achievement.
Naija News reports that the Recording Industry Association of America on Tuesday, 30th August 2022 announced the Gold Certification of Wizkid’s fourth studio album, ‘Made In Lagos’ after it sold over 500,000 copies in the United States.
With such an incredible feat in his career, Wizkid has become the first and only Nigerian and African artist to have his album sell above 500,000 copies in the United States.
The biggest song of the album was ‘Essence’ remix featuring American Pop star Justin Bieber and Afrobeats superstar, Tems.
Recalls that the Grammy nominated ‘Essence’ was awarded the Best Collaboration Award at the 2020 BET Awards as Wizkid became the first ever African artiste (alongside Tems) to win a major BET award category.
The song also enjoyed an impressive level of success in the United States, as it peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is two-time platinum.
The Grammy-nominated album featured hit tracks and contributions from Tems, Burna Boy, Damian Marley, Skepta, Ella Mai, H.E.R., Buju, “Essence” remix featuring Tems and Canadian singer Justin Bieber and many more.
Chelsea midfielder, N’Golo Kante is set for a shock transfer move to Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG are keeping a close eye on Kante’s contract situation at Chelsea.
Kante has just one year remaining on his current contract with Chelsea, and it is unknown whether the west London club are going to offer him an extension.
Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel, is very keen for the France World Cup winner to stay at Stamford Bridge but has admitted that his age, injury history and wage demands will be important factors.
PSG are monitoring this situation, according to The Times, which could result in a transfer offer before the summer window closes on September 1 or the next.
Alternatively, PSG could wait to take Kante on a free transfer next summer.
Kante joined Chelsea from Leicester City back in 2016.
A 19-year-old girl has died after she was set on fire by a man whose marriage proposal she rejected.
Ankita Kumari died on Sunday, August 28, days after she was doused with kerosene through her house window while she was sleeping and set on fire.
The Class 12 student, a Hindu living in the Dumka district of the eastern state of Jharkhand refused to marry the accused, a Muslim man living in the same locality, so he attacked her on Tuesday, August 23.
The man who carried out the horrific crime was arrested along with the person who supplied the petrol.
The accused was photographed smiling in police custody, just hours after the victim died on Sunday.
According to the statement given to an executive magistrate, Ms Kumari said the accused called her and threatened her life.
She said: “He called me again around 8pm on Monday and told me that he would kill me if I did not talk to him.
“I informed my father about the threat after which he assured me that he would talk to the man’s family on Tuesday. After having our dinner, we went to sleep. I was sleeping in another room.
“On Tuesday morning, I experienced a sensation of pain on my back and could smell something burning. I found him running away when I opened my eyes.
“I started screaming in pain and went to my father’s room. My parents doused the fire and took me to the hospital.”
Former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das said: “A woman was burnt to death but the chief minister is maintaining silence. Isn’t it a politics of appeasement?”
Hardline Hindu groups have called for the death of the accused.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad, or the World Hindu Council, said the majority Hindu community are prepared to hit the streets and protest if action is not taken sooner.
“Today, there is a dire need to create a safe environment for women in the country”, Rahul Gandhi, a leader of the main opposition Congress party, said on Twitter.
Ms Kumari was filmed saying from her hospital bed: “He should die the way I am dying today.”
An emergency medical technician (EMT) in Delaware County is facing charges after allegedly exposing a “semi-conscious” woman under his care in the back of an ambulance and snapping photos of her breasts.
Kevin Hakeem Pressley, 24, an employee with the Brookhaven Fire Co. Ambulance, was arrested Saturday, August 27, for lifting up a semi-conscious woman’s sports bra and taking pictures of her in the back of an ambulance, police said on Monday, August 29.
Pressley was among the emergency personnel tasked with rushing the woman, who was experiencing chest pains, from an urgent care center in Brookhaven to Crozer Chester Medical Center around 6:30 p.m. Thursday, August 25, police said.
During transport, Pressley — while caring for the victim in the back of the ambulance — reportedly exposed the woman’s breasts and took photos of her while she was in a “semi-conscious state.”
Pressley was charged with indecent assault, invasion of privacy, harassment and disorderly conduct.
He was arraigned on $100,000 bail and is being detained at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Glen Mills.
Investigators received information that he previously worked for other medical providers, and Brookhaven police are now asking any other potential victims to contact their department with the information.
Actor/singer Tyrese’s courtroom showdown with his estranged wife, Samantha Lee Gibson, wrapped up Tuesday evening, August 29, in Georgia with the judge ordering him to pay $10,690/month in child support.
Recall that the estranged couple who share a daughter, Soraya, got married on Valentine’s Day in 2017 after their first meeting in 2015.
Samantha filed for divorce from the six-time Grammy nominee in September 2020, and claimed Tyrese had locked her out of the house. He has repeatedly denied the accusation.
Ruling on the case on Tuesday August 30, the Judge said the $10k/month payment dates back to when Samantha first filed for divorce in September 2020; which means he owes his ex a lump sum of $209k.
The judge who also advised Samantha and Tyrese not to bad mouth each other in front of Soraya, added that Tyrese should be happy if his ex moves into a nicer house, because it means a better standard of living for his daughter.
After Tyrese revealed he had been making Samantha’s car payments for 2 years, the judge knocked off $46k, bringing the lump sum down to $169k.
Asides ruling that neither party will pay spousal support, Tyrese also got their Range Rover, while Samantha got their Land Rover. The Judge also granted Samantha’s petition for a divorce, which means both of them are now single.
Mario Balotelli has reportedly agreed on personal terms over a switch to Swiss side FC Sion.
The Italian striker is set to move to the 11th different club of his career just days after he nearly came to blows with his current manager Vincenzo Montella.
Transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano has claimed that a full agreement is in place to join the Swiss Super League side. He added that the 32-year-old will undergo a medical in Sion on Wednesday morning August 31, before the deal is completed.
The former Manchester City and Liverpool striker joined Adana Demirspor on a three-year deal in July 2021.
Just 13 months, he is leaving the Turkish Super Lig side amid his furious row with Montella could have a big part to play in his exit.
Following Adana Demirspor’s 1-0 Turkish Super Lig victory over Umraniye on Saturday, Balotelli provoked an angry reaction from the Italian manager.
The striker appeared to make a comment that angered the Demirspor manager to react angrily, and had to be restrained by staff and players.
The Italian scored 19 goals for the Turkish side last season, his second-highest return in a season after the 24 he netted for Nice in 2017-18.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has declared a comprehensive, total and indefinite strike action beginning on Monday, August 29, 2022.
ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke announced this in a statement on Monday night, August 29, after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Union held in Abuja.
He said: “Following extensive deliberations on Government’s response to the resolution of 14th February, 2022 so far, NEC concluded that the demands of the Union had not been satisfactorily addressed. Consequently, NEC resolved to transmute the roll-over strike to a comprehensive, total and indefinite strike action beginning from 12.01a.m. on Monday, 29th August, 2022.”
The statement read: “The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) held an emergency meeting at the Comrade Festus Iyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja, Abuja on Sunday, 28th August, 2022. The meeting was called mainly to review developments since its last resolution that rolled over the nationwide strike action for another four weeks starting from 1st August, 2022.
“NEC observed with regret that the Union had experienced a lot of deceit of the highest level in the last five and half years as the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) engaged ASUU in fruitless and unending negotiation without a display of utmost fidelity. In 2017, the Federal Government constituted a committee to renegotiate the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement under the chairmanship of Dr. Wale Babalakin. After three years of fruitless negotiation, Dr. Babalakin was replaced in December 2020 with Professor Emeritus Munzali Jibril.
“The Renegotiation Committee produced and submitted a draft agreement to the Federal Government in May, 2021. It is sad that, until 14th February, 2022 when the ongoing strike commenced, the Federal Government made no significant efforts to either sign the agreement or commence implementation. It was only after the commencement of this strike that the Federal Government reconstituted the committee with Professor Emeritus Nimi Briggs appointed Chairman to lead the Government Team.
“NEC recalled that, before meeting with our Union, the Nimi Briggs Committee confirmed to ASUU in writing that it was consulting with all relevant stakeholders in order to aggregate Government’s position/offer. After intensive bargaining, ASUU came to a compromise with the Professor Briggs-led Team leading to the submission of the second Draft Agreement to the Federal Government in June, 2022 for consideration and approval for signing by the two parties within one week.
“This was done in line with the principle of collective bargaining. Shortly after and against all expectations, however, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, and later his Minister of State, Festus Kayamo, alleged that the Union chased away representatives of government agencies and thereafter fixed unreasonable and unimplementable salary package for its members. They claimed that the government would need to borrow 1.6 trillion Naira to implement the Draft Agreement; a claim that is not only malicious but contrived to blackmail the Union.
“Subsequently, some miserable, unilateral, and insulting take-it or-leave-it offers of between N30, 000 and N60,000 monthly salary were thrown at the Union. This was obviously an attempt to abrogate the principle of collective bargaining which has guided ASUU engagements with Federal Government since 1981.
“NEC noted that ASUU and other well-meaning Nigerians have expressed serious disappointment by and consternation on the attitude of the Government conveyed by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who had deliberately misinformed the public and reduced the current struggle of ASUU to the payment of withheld salaries, claiming that all other contentious issues had been resolved. For the avoidance of doubt, however, none of the issues that forced our Union to resume the suspended strike as listed in the December 2020 FGN-ASUU Memorandum of Action (MoA) has been satisfactorily addressed by the Government to date.
“The draft renegotiated FGN-ASUU Agreement (second draft) remains unsigned; the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) has not been adopted and deployed to replace the discredited Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS); and the White Papers on Visitation Panels to Federal Universities, if ready as claimed by Government more than six months ago, are nowhere to be found.
“Similarly, Government has not delivered on the promised balance of one tranche of the Revitalization Fund more than one year after, the outstanding two tranches of the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) have not been released; and nothing has since happened on the promised support for amendment to the Law of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to stem the tide of proliferation of universities especially by the State Governments.
“NEC was utterly disappointed in agents of Government, especially the Minister of Education, for the deliberate falsehood and misrepresentation of facts aimed at scoring cheap political gains. It is disheartening to imagine that a Minister whose responsibility it is to resolve the crisis can overnight turn round to lead in this ignoble enterprise of distorting facts and misleading Nigerians.
“The disdain with which the Minister of Education handled questions about the ongoing ASUU strike at his distasteful Press Conference on Thursday, 18th August, 2022 lends credence to the widespread suspicion that the current Government never believed in saving public universities from the misfortunes that have befallen Nigeria’s public primary and secondary schools.”
Napoli head coach, Luciano Spalletti has ruled out the chances of Victor Osimhen joining Manchester United from the Italian club.
Osimhen has been linked with Manchester United who are willing to offer €100m and Cristiano Ronaldo on loan with most of his salary paid.
“He wants to play the Champions League with this (Napoli) squad,” Spalletti told DAZN.
“Osimhen gave his response, via his agent, saying he wants to play the Champions League and he wants to play it with this squad.”
On whether he will change his starting lineup ahead of his side’s game against Lecce on Wednesday, Spalletti said, “I have not changed the starting XI because they did very well. If there are no problems, I see no reason to change.
“The issue of squad rotation will be later when we have a game every three days.
Speaking about Osimhen’s contributions to the club, he said;
“He cares about his teammates, he chases down opposition players to help out and is a very strong focal point in attack. Having him at our disposal with that mentality is the best we could ask for.”
Employees who perpetrate fraud through stealing in the workplace have been labelled as “Workplace Rats” in a new book, which has just been released to the public. The book which admits that poor business model and financial management contribute to business failures specifically identified stealing as a major cause of bankruptcy in organisations.
The book asserts that some employees and executives within the lowest and highest rung of the organizational ladder are pilfering, who often exploit any cavity within the system to generate unearned income for selfish ends. It refers to such employees as Workplace Rats.
The book which reveals motives, schemes, intrigues and tactics deployed by fraudulent employees to rip off employers, also contains ways and how organisations can prevent Workplace Rats from executing their dishonest and unethical practices at the workplace.
Written by Dr Michael Owhoko, renowned author and journalist, the book is entitled, Workplace Rats. It was published by Exceller Books, and it is currently on sale on Amazon, Banes and Nobles and major bookstores worldwide.
“Fraudsters in organisations are likened to rats at the workplace because they leave in their trail, the destruction of valuables and capital through fraud and unethical practices, resulting in most times, bankruptcy or liquidation. Like rats, their actions invoke pain as they never add value to anything. Wherever rats are found, there is a complete threat to material order. They destroy by consuming all valuables within sight”, Owhoko disclosed in the new book.
According to him, “Like rats, there are people in organizations whose only motive is to perpetuate selfish agenda through methods that advance their interests, even if it is at the expense of the organization. They have a prick-proof conscience that does not respond to malevolence, attendant destruction, losses and pains resulting from their actions.”
The author said further that Workplace rats are not limited to employees alone. “They are also found among entrepreneurs, business executives, politicians and top government functionaries, including civil and public servants.”
Indeed, the book is a must-read not only for entrepreneurs, business leaders, government officials and business influencers but for all Nigerians with the potential to establish their own businesses in the country.
About the Author
Dr Michael Owhoko is a Lagos-based journalist and author who has mostly worked in the banking, oil and gas, and media industries where he held senior and management positions. He earned degrees in political science and mass communications, and he is the author of The Language of Oil & Gas; Career Frustration in the Workplace; Nigeria on the Precipice: Issues, Options and Solutions; The Future of Nigeria; and Feminism: The Agony of Men. He can be reached at www.mikeowhoko.com.
President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to eight bills passed by the National Assembly.
In a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Nasir Illa, on Monday, listed the bills as Counselling Practitioners Council of Nigeria, Civil Aviation Act, Nigerian Metrological Agency, Pharmacy Council of Nigeria and Nigerian Council for Management Development. Others are National Institute of Credit Administration, Chartered Institute Of Social Work Practitioners and Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria.
The statement, which did not indicate when the bills were signed, gave the highlights of the new laws as follows:
Counselling Practitioners Council of Nigeria, 2022
The new entity has the responsibility of advancing the study, training and practice of counselling profession.
Also, the body is charged with the responsibility to determine the standard of knowledge and skill to be attained by persons seeking to become registered members of the counselling profession.
Civil Aviation Act, 2022
This Act repealed the Civil Aviation Act, No. 6, 2006 and enacts the Civil Aviation Act, 2022. The legislation establishes rules of operation and divisions of responsibility within the Nigerian civil aviation system in order to promote aviation safety and security.
In addition, it seeks to ensure that Nigeria’s obligations under international aviation agreements are implemented, and consolidate the laws relating to the regulation of civil aviation in Nigeria.
Meteorological Agency (Establishment) Act, 2022
The Act repealed the Nigerian Metrological Agency (Establishment, etc.) Act, No. 9 of 2003 and enacts the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (Establishment) Act and provide for comprehensive legal and institutional framework for the regulation of meteorology in Nigeria.
The body has the sole authority to approve, licence, certify and regulate the establishment of meteorological stations for meteorological observations.
Pharmacists Council of Nigeria Act, 2022
The Act repealed the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria Act Cap. P17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and enacted the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2022.
The Pharmacists Council is charged with the responsibility, amongst others, of regulating and controlling the education, training and practice of pharmacy and related matters in Nigeria.
Nigerian Council for Management Development Act, 2022
The Act repealed the Nigerian Council for Management Development Act and the National Centre for Economic Management and Administration Act and enacts the Nigerian Council for Management Development Act, 2022.
National Institute Of Credit Administration (Establishment) Act, 2022
The institute has the power to regulate credit management practice and set standards and skills to be attained by persons seeking to become professional credit managers in Nigeria.
Chartered Institute Of Social Work Practitioners (Establishment) Act, 2022
The Institute is charged with the responsibility for training and registration of persons aspiring to become Social Work Practitioners in Nigeria and determine the standards of knowledge and skill to be attained by persons seeking to become registered as chartered social work practitioners.
The body also has the power to establish and maintenance of register of corporate members, fellows, associates, honourary fellows, and the publication of the list of registered members.
Advertising Regulatory Council Of Nigeria Act, 2022
The Act repealed the Advertising Practitioners (Registration, etc.) Act, Cap. A7, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and enacts the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act, 2022
The legislation makes provision for the regulation and control of advertising, ensure the protection of the general public and consumers, promote local content and entrench the best international practices.
THE International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said over 14,000 out of 25,000 people who have been reported missing in Nigeria are children.
The organisation disclosed this in a statement released on Tuesday in commemoration of International Day of the Disappeared.
The organisation said 64,000 cases of disappeared persons have been reported across Africa.
Yann Bonzon, Head of the Delegation for the ICRC in Nigeria, said, “There are over 35 active armed conflicts in Africa today; thousands of people, including children cross borders, the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in search of safety and a better life each year. Such movements often entail great risk, including the risk of disappearance. Documented cases of missing persons are on the rise; however, the ICRC warns that the actual figures are much higher.
“Sadly, the almost 14,000 children registered does not capture the full scope of this often-neglected and tragic humanitarian issue. There is no doubt that there are more children whose fate remains unknown.”
The statement noted that during displacement, children face risks such as exploitation, violence, mental distress and disappearance.
“Many also end up alone, with no news of their families’ whereabouts. The ICRC has more than 5,200 documented cases of unaccompanied children in Africa.”
“Having the right policies in place can save lives. It is an essential step to protect migrants and families of missing persons. This is a question of humanity and human dignity,” said Patrick Youssef, the regional director for ICRC in Africa.
“Families of the disappeared face immense pain and obstacles that often transcend generations. They are stuck in limbo, unable to move forward or grieve. The search for their loved ones never ends.”
According to the statement, from January to June 2022, the ICRC together with the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), assisted in the exchange of 1,250 Red Cross Messages containing family news and reunited 31 separated children/unaccompanied minors with their families while 440 phone calls were provided to families to maintain family contact.
In addition, families of 377 persons received information about the whereabouts or fate of their loved ones and 146 families of missing persons received psychosocial, economic, legal and administrative support through the Accompaniment Program for Families of the Missing.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised an alarm of Nigerian politicians seeing elections as war.
National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of the INEC, Festus Okoye who spoke at the inauguration of the Election Crisis Communication Team (ECCT) organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) on Monday August 29, added that while INEC enjoys media coverage, there is still room for strengthening the communications system of the commission.
Okoye said;
“As a result of the way elections are pursued by politicians, elections are almost akin to war. It is almost like a perennial crisis.
“However, the commission has also been doing a lot that is under-reported, shrouded in sensationalism or even misinterpreted by the general public. As we experience increasing incidents of misrepresentation of the commission, either out of insufficient appreciation of the constitutive legal instruments underlying the work of the commission; inadequate understanding of the work of the commission or other sundry issues around political positioning and contest for power.”
He also disclosed that Nigerians would elect candidates for 1,491 constituencies, comprising one presidential constituency, 28 governorship elections, 109 senatorial districts, 360 federal constituencies and 993 state assembly seats for the 2023 elections.
Okoye added;
“In preparations, INEC would be involved in recruiting and training staff and managing the logistics for their deployment to 176,846 polling units, spread across 8,809 electoral wards, 774 local government areas, 37 states of the federation and the FCT.
“This is in addition to applying strategic approaches to ensure the printing and collection of PVCs by registered voters and replacing lost cards before the 2023 general election.
“These tasks are better appreciated when one reasons that the projected voter population for the 2023 general election is about 95 million, which is over 20 million more than the combined voter population of the other 14 countries in West Africa.
“The commission is expected to perform these duties exceptionally despite the myriad geographical challenges that characterize the country, especially poor transportation systems.”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s team-mates at Manchester United celebrated when he informed the club he wants to leave this summer, ESPN reports.
With the transfer window set to close this Thursday, it is looking unlikely that the 37-year-old might get his wish.
Ronaldo’s 24 goals in all competitions last season was not enough to qualify United for the Champions League, a competition he desperately wants to continue playing in.
While fans are split on whether Ronaldo’s departure would be a positive thing for new manager Erik ten Hag, his team-mates appear to have made their minds up.
Majority of the squad reacted with joy when it emerged in July that the legendary No.7 wanted to leave, as he’d become a “pain in the a***.”
Ten Hag has handed Ronaldo only one start this season and that was in the humiliating 4-0 drubbing at Brentford.
Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike has promised to expose politicians who plan to continue the looting of Nigeria’s treasury even as he revealed that some politicians canvassing for votes to win 2023 presidential election do not mean well for the country.
The governor boasted to have privileged information on the plans of such politicians, saying he will reveal their identities at the appropriate time so that Nigerians can reject them at the polls.
Wike stated this at the flag-off of internal roads at Rumuesara, Eneka town in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, on Monday.
He said: “Some other people are busy, putting themselves together on how they will take over leadership in Nigeria to loot the remaining ones these other people have already kept.
“I’m privileged to know and at the appropriate time I’ll tell you who these people are. You need to know what is happening in Nigeria. Forget about all these people running around saying they want to rescue or save you. Just watch to see what is going to happen next.
“All of us should be calm concerning what is happening in PDP. In fact, nothing has happened yet. But by the grace of God, something will happen,” Wike added.
He pointed out that while his administration continues to flag-off and inaugurate projects for Rivers people, detractors keep sponsoring negative media campaigns against him noting that despite such negative media comments, his administration has not relented in offering good governance to strengthen the relationship with the people of Rivers State.
He observed that it would be difficult for seasonal politicians who have never done anything to better the lot of Rivers electorate to come to them and solicit their votes.
“Look at us concentrating in giving our people good governance. What is good governance? Good governance is making the people to be happy. Good governance is providing infrastructure for the people. Good governance is not about party. Providing good governance is about leadership. We are here everyday flagging off projects, commissioning projects even though our tenure is coming to an end.
“Now that I have come to Eneka to provide this basic infrastructure, I can come back to Eneka and ask you to follow me, let us go there or let us stay here. Do they have what it takes to come and talk to you? Can they come and talk to you?
“It is somebody that hears from you that you have also hear from. This one you’ve not provided anything for my people, you’ve not asked them what they want, then you want to tell them where to vote.
“So, it is us that will come and meet you and say see where you’ll vote. And I know based on our relationship, since we have not deceived you, we have not told you lies, you will follow us at the appropriate time”, Wike told Eneka people.
The governor used the occasion to rename the Igwurata-Eneka Road, the Sam Mbata Road, promising that the State government will accord due recognition to the paramount ruler of Eneka before the end of his tenure in 2023.
The divorce proceedings of actor Tyrese Gibson and his estranged wife Samantha Lee took a different turn on Monday August 29.
TMZ reported that things got heated in court on Monday as Samantha was grilled by Tyrese’s attorney, Tanya Mitchell Graham, about some of her expenses from 2 years ago, including $1,740 for cosmetics.
At the hearing, Tyrese stated that he does not want to pay Samantha, 31, spousal support, and further requested that their prenup be enforced. He also requested joint physical and legal custody of their three-year-old daughter, Soraya Gibson, as well as final say on non-medical emergencies for the child.
Tyrese in court documents claimed that Samantha’s request for $20k in monthly child support, was ‘unreasonably high.’
The actor who wants to keep their 2016 Range Rover, added that he is willing to let Samantha hang onto one of their SUVs: a 2017 Land Rover Discovery.
Samantha filed for divorce from the six-time Grammy nominee in September 2020, and claimed Tyrese had locked her out of the house. He has denied the accusation.
Tyrese who is also a musician pointed to ‘being raised in broken homes with with no example of what being a husband or father is’ as contributing to the demise of his second marriage and claimed ‘black families and marriages are under attack’ at the time.
He said in a separate statement that he and Samantha, who he met in 2015, will ‘remain the best of friends and strong co-parents.’
West Ham have confirmed the signing of Brazilian attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta.
Paqueta, who turned 25 on Saturday August 27, has joined the Hammers from French club Lyon on a five-year deal, with an additional one-year option, according to the club’s website.
West Ham’s new number 11 said: ‘I am extremely happy to be here. I hope it’s the beginning of an enjoyable journey. I hope my time here is successful.
‘Last season, West Ham had a very good season and I hope they continue to enjoy more and more good seasons in my time at the Club.’
‘I am excited to pull on the West Ham shirt and show the fans what I can do, to help my team-mates and the Club.’
The 24-year-old becomes David Moyes’ eighth summer signing at the London Stadium.
Paqueta has 33 caps and seven goals for Brazil and has already played more than 100 games in Serie A and Ligue 1 since moving to AC Milan from Flamengo in 2018.
Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says he is in the 2023 presidential race to impact the lives of Nigerians positively.
In a tweet on Monday, the former Lagos governor said he is in the race to answer “a higher calling” which is his love for Nigeria.
“We are not here to do what is comfortable. We are here to do what is right for our people and our country,” the tweet reads.
“We are here to answer to a greater, higher calling. That calling is the love of Nigeria. We dare not miss this chance because we cannot be sure of another.”
The APC candidate, whose choice of running mate elicited criticisms in different quarters, has been meeting with political bigwigs to gain their support ahead of the 2023 elections.
Last Tuesday, he had a meeting with Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, in France. The latter is reportedly pondering on whether to back the APC candidate in the 2023 presidential election.
As part of his plans for Nigeria, Tinubu said if elected, he would embark on modern infrastructural development across the country, institute financial reforms, and eliminate crimes.
A woman suffering from dementia died after the California senior citizens home she lived in served her dishwashing liquid instead of juice, the home said.
Gertrude Elizabeth Murison Maxwell was one of three residents at Atria Park Senior Living Facility in San Mateo rushed to the hospital after they drank the caustic liquid.
The employees involved have been suspended as the home investigates internally and cooperates with local authorities, the facility said.
Atria said in a statement to KRON-TV: “We have been working with local authorities, who have informed us that one resident passed away. Our sincerest condolences are with the family.”
One source told NBC Bay Area the dishwashing liquid might have been confused with grape juice.
“There may have been a mistake,’” the source involved in the investigation told the local NBC affiliate. “A jug of grape juice is what somebody thought they had picked up and poured into glasses, but it was some sort of cleaning fluid.”
The victim’s daughter, Marcia Cutchin, told the local television station that the senior home told her family the substance given to her mother was an “alkaline cleaning solution that eats protein.”
Maxwell suffers from dementia and was not able to feed herself, Cutchin said.
She added that when her mother arrived at the hospital, she had “severe blistering of her mouth and throat and esophagus”.
“Many people, like my mother, you have to hold a cup to her mouth and tip it into her mouth,” Cutchin told KRON-TV.
The television station reported San Mateo Police were investigating and had no additional information.
Maxwell is survived by eight children and 20 grandchildren.
Persistent brain drain by doctors is depleting the country’s medical care expertise and taking the country farther away from the recommended number of doctors…
Persistent brain drain by doctors is depleting the country’s medical care expertise and taking the country farther away from the recommended number of doctors per population, medical associations and experts have said.
Their position faulted the claim by the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire that Nigeria has a sufficient number of medical doctors despite the brain drain.
The minister during a briefing on Tuesday stated that there were enough medical doctors in the country and that the number of doctors produced annually exceeds the number leaving the country.
But the umbrella body of medical doctors in the country, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), and other stakeholders said the claim by the minister was far from the truth.
The NMA insisted that just about 30,000 medical doctors were currently practising in Nigeria out of the about 80,000 registered with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) from 1960 to date.
The NMA also revealed that Nigeria currently has a doctor-to-patient ratio of one doctor to 4000-5000 patients instead of the one doctor to 600 patient ratio recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Daily Trust reports that the spate of brain drain in the health sector, which has led to a shortage of manpower with attendant burnout, payment of hazard allowance, and outstanding Medical Residency Training Fund, was part of the reasons the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) had issued a two-week ultimatum to the federal government to address or it would embark on industrial action.
Findings by our reporter also reveal that many doctors in the country continue to troop to recruitment interviews or centres by foreign governments to leave the country for greener pastures.
A large number of those seeking to leave the country are consultants with different specialties in the field of medicine, thereby causing manpower shortages in the health facilities.
The minister of health had said: “At the moment we have heard complaints of doctors who are now leaving the system but there are actually enough doctors in the system in the country because we are producing up to 2,000 or 3,000 doctors every year in the country, and the number leaving is less than 1,000. It is just that the employment process needs to be smoothened.”
He said the ministry was working with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to have a one-for-one policy of employment.
“So if one doctor resigns today and goes abroad, we will employ one doctor. If it is one nurse, we replace it with one nurse. So, if we adopt a one-for-one replacement we are not likely to have a shortage.
NMA faults minister’s claim
However, the President of NMA, Dr Uche Ojinmah said there are only 20, 000 to 30,000 medical doctors currently practising in Nigeria out of the about 80,000 registered with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) since 1960 to date.
He said that Nigeria has a doctor-to-patient ratio of one doctor to 4000-5000 patients instead of the one doctor to 600 patient ratio recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
He said out of the about 80,000 on the MDCN register since inception some have died, retired, joined politics, emigrated, or are no longer practising, or had joined other careers.
He said if there were enough doctors in the country, primary health care centres in the country would not have been empty of doctors.
The NMA president said when there is a bias in a sample, there is bound to be mistaken, adding that the minister was talking about replacement in Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres without considering General Hospitals, PHCs, and mission hospitals.
He said even if the number of doctors emigrating out of the country equals the number produced annually, the quality of specialists leaving cannot be replaced by the fresh graduates produced that year.
According to him, most of those leaving have often finished youth service or practised for at least two years, and cannot be replaced by fresh graduates in the hospitals.
“I am a consultant hematologist of 15 years standing, if I leave today, will I be replaced with a fresh graduate?” he asked.
He said that even if all of the doctors registered with MDCN to date, were still practicing, they could not adequately take care of Nigeria’s 200 million people.
He added that the magnitude of the brain drain of doctors is the fact that the General Medical Council of Britain (GMC) licensed 226 Nigerian doctors in a space of one to two months, adding that the number in a year could best be imagined.
“Nigeria should be importing medical doctors just like Europe and America are doing but we misplace priorities. If we are paying medical doctors well in Nigeria and have good facilities, doctors will come from Ghana, and the Gambia to work here. There was a time that doctors were coming to practice in Nigeria.”
He called on the government to improve remuneration for health workers and fund and open more medical schools where doctors can do house jobs so that the country could produce more doctors to take care of its needs.
The NMA also in April this year said that Nigeria lost over 9,000 medical doctors to the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States of America between 2016 and 2018.
The association said the loss left Nigeria with only 4.7 per cent of its specialists to service the health care needs of the population, adding that this does not paint the country in good light.
Similarly, the President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr. Godiya Ishaya, said there is no way Nigeria will have enough medical doctors even if the whole doctors that have registered with MDCN in the country since its inception were practising.
He said the manpower shortage from a brain drain for instance led to the shutting down of the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State last Friday.
“In fact, FMC Owo is on strike over manpower shortage. The remaining doctors are now overworking to cater to the teeming patients and they are breaking down frequently as a result of that,” he said.
Dr. Ishaya said an average of between 200 to 300 of his colleagues leave the country every two months, adding that last year alone, close to 1,500 emigrated to the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, as they have not been counting those who leave for Canada, United States, and other countries.
He said even the doctors produced yearly by the country are not been employed by the government.
“How many of the doctors being produced or graduating from the school has the Federal Ministry of Health employed, and how many are exiting out of the country?
“That is the reason we are calling for the employment of doctors to replace those who have emigrated out of the country.”
While applauding the efforts of the head of the service for forwarding requests to replace exiting colleagues through the Federal Ministry of Health, he said the process is currently marred by delays and bureaucratic bottlenecks such that before a colleague is replaced many more have exited again.
He said: “We fought for the replacement policy, we went on strike over acute manpower shortage, and while at the National Assembly, a lot of bottlenecks were identified.
“There was a committee being moved to be inaugurated but since we suspended the strike we have not heard anything.
“The Federal Ministry of Health should have pushed through with the committee. Before you write the chief executive, go to offices for verification, (and each of these offices takes three months each), it will take a minimum of six months to achieve the replacement.
“So if we allow the bureaucratic process to go on and five doctors exit and need to be replaced, before the process is concluded, maybe another 10 doctors would have exited. By the time they get replaced the deficit will still remain, and that is why we have been fighting it,” he added.
Also, the immediate National President of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Prof. Ken Ozoilo in an interview with Daily Trust said that his association observed that while these countries (where doctors are migrating) have put in place measures to recover their health systems, including boosting personnel by luring our members with lucrative conditions of service, the Nigerian government has not put in place every serious measure to retain this highly skilled manpower.
He said the link between the dilapidated state of the economy; poor remuneration, inadequate health infrastructure/equipment, and highly volatile security situation are also factors forcing doctors to emigrate.
“The current security challenges in Nigeria threaten the very fabric of our existence and should be a cause for concern for all well-meaning Nigerians. The current brain drain that has increased exponentially in recent times is also partly fuelled by the need to flee this insecurity,” he added.
Victor Osimhen’s super agent Roberto Calenda, has reacted to reports of a swap deal between his client and Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
Reports emerged in Italy on Friday, August 26 that Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes is working on a deal to bring Osimhen to Manchester United and Ronaldo to Napoli on loan.
According to the report, Napoli demanded €120m before a deal could be struck with the Nigerian.
However, Calenda has now stated on Twitter that there are no ongoing negotiations with Manchester United regarding his client .
“No ongoing negotiations, no swap deals. Osimhen is a Napoli player and wants to play in the Champions League with his Napoli side after conquering it on the pitch with pride along with his teammates and the coach.” Calenda wrote on his Twitter handle Friday evening, August 26.
The 23-year-old Edo native joined Napoli from Ligue 1 club, Lille three years ago and has scored scored 30 goals in 64 appearances for the Partenopei.
A man of God of Nigerian descent, Pastor Jerry Eze has been recognised and acknowledged by one of the biggest international media outlets, CNN as a prayer warrior and religious leader with strong global influence.
Pastor Jerry kicked-off a prayer programme on his YouTube channel at a time when the world was battling with Covid-19 and global lockdown.
Early in the morning around 7am Nigerian time, Christians from all over the world made it a necessity to join Pastor Eze on his YouTube channel to witness his passionate prayer session and be blessed by it.
According to CNN, With more than 90,000 peak concurrent viewers, Eze’s daily broadcasts rank among the most streamed globally on YouTube, according to the analytics website Playboard, which collates data for YouTube channels.
His YouTube platform also ranks second among gospel channels with the most live viewers worldwide behind Brazilian preacher Bruno Leonardo.
His self-named YouTube channel has over 880,000 subscribers as of this and his broadcasts have garnered more than 122 million views over a three-year period, according to figures from his channel.
Pastor Jerry Eze is a convener of the New Season Prophetic Prayers and Lead Pastor at Streams of Joy International. He is a strong believer that “What God Cannot Do, Does Not Exist”, little wonder lots of people all over the world share amazing testimonies while engaging with him on YouTube.
The 40-year-old preacher and prayer warrior was born on August 22, 1982 in Bende Local Government area of Abia State. He was raised by a petty-trader single mother and his education was funded by a couple who were in love with active participation in church activities in his younger age.
Pastor Eze’s success on YouTube has placed Nigeria on the map of countries with the successful preacher on YouTube.
Nigeria’s anti-narcotics agency, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), says it has arrested a cleaner, Ohiagu Sunday, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, for his alleged involvement in drug trafficking.
The agency disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, through its Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi. The statement is titled: “NDLEA arrests Lagos Airport cleaner who leads drug syndicate: raids car shop, recovers drugs, launches manhunt for motor dealer; seizes tons of narcotics”.
According to the statement, the suspect leads a drug syndicate at the international wing of the airport.
The suspect was arrested on Tuesday, August 23, 2022, following the arrest of an intending passenger on an Air Peace flight to Dubai, UAE. The passenger, one Obinna Jacob Osita, was arrested with three bags, two of which contained eight blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 4.25kg concealed in cassava product, gari and crayfish.
“One other member of the airport syndicate who works with Ohiagu has also been arrested while operatives are after another suspect,” the statement said.
The anti-narcotics agency noted that its investigations have revealed that a Dubai-based drug dealer recruited Obinna, a 42-year-old native of Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra State to traffic the drugs. He allegedly equally contracted Ohiagu, a 34-year-old airport cleaner from Orlu West Local Government Area of Imo State to create access for the unhindered passage of the trafficker.
The statement partly read, “The drug syndicate bust, which is the first drug arrest at the new terminal of the MMIA comes on the heels of the seizure of a consignment of bottles of Viju and Fearless energy drinks used to conceal skunk for export to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) through the NAHCO export shed on Monday, 15th August.
“A freight agent has already been arrested in connection with the seizure,” the statement read. Meanwhile, Babafemi noted that an attempt by a syndicate to export illicit drugs through the Lagos airport on Wednesday, August 24, was foiled during an outward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airline to Oman via Addis Ababa.
It noted that during the clearance, a suspect identified as Jonah Chukwuemeka was arrested with a total of 1,995 Tramadol tablets with a gross weight of 900 grams hidden and packaged as locust beans in his luggage.
“The bag containing the illicit substance was handed over to him at the airport by one Olagunju Abbas who was promptly arrested. “Packs of Tramadol 225mg containing 119,500 capsules were Thursday 25th August transferred to NDLEA by the Nigeria Customs, cargo wing of MMIA. The consignment had come in through Ethiopian Airline from Pakistan.”
In another development, the agency’s spokesman said its operatives on Saturday raided a car shop, Bolak Motors at Ewela bus stop, Oshodi, where bags of 615.2kg cannabis were recovered along with nine vehicles.
He said efforts were ongoing to track the car dealer, Alhaji Ismail, who was said to be at large.
“No fewer than eight suspects were arrested and bags of illicit drugs seized from them when Akerele area of Agege, Shogunle and Mafoluku areas of Oshodi, Fagba area of Ogba, Ipodo area of Ikeja and lyana Ipaja park were raided in the state.
“In Yobe state, two suspected fake security agents taking 14kg cannabis to Maiduguri, Borno state were intercepted along Potiskum- Damaturu Road.
“While Adetula Olarenwaju was arrested with four blocks of the substance on Thursday, 25th August on his way from Lagos, Sadiq Garba returning from Gombe was nabbed with 22 blocks of the substance on Saturday, 27th August,” the statement added.
Two US warships are currently passing through the Taiwan Strait, amid ongoing military tensions between China and Taiwan, the US Navy has announced.
It is the first time US warships will engage in Maritime operation since tensions between Taiwan and China escalated following a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan earlier this month.
China reacted to the visit by holding large-scale military drills in the Taiwanese strait claiming to be instigated by the interference of the US in internal Chinese affairs.
Beijing views such actions as provocative and maintains that the island of Taiwan is an integral part of Chinese territory even though China has never ruled Taiwan in 70 years.
The US Navy said in a statement on Sunday August 28 that the transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrated the “United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific”.
“These ships transited through a corridor in the strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state,” the statement added.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said the ships were sailing in a southerly direction and that its forces were observing, but that “the situation was as normal”.
On Sunday, the Chinese military responded saying it was monitoring the two vessels’ progress, maintaining a high alert, and was ready to defeat any provocation, Reuters news agency reports.
A 74-year-old man from Kogi State identified as Mallam Muhammad Awal, has married for the first time.
Awal wedded 45-year-old divorcee, Mallama Rahmat Muhammad, in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital on Sunday, August 28.
Speaking to journalists on why he had stayed this late before getting married, the septuagenarian said lack of money discouraged him from approaching a woman for marriage.
“I have always been afraid I might fail in my duty of care to a spouse if I married and it is something I fear and don’t want to joke with. I am also afraid of separation from my spouse. I know if I fail to take care of her, she might either leave me or cheat on me with another man, which I would not like. So, to avoid all of that, I dismissed the idea of marriage altogether. But now, Allah has made this a reality.” he said.
On whether he has ever approached a woman to proposition marriage before, he said; “I have… Many. This was when I was much younger. Many of them looked down on me, mostly because of my financial status. But I thank God it is in the past,”
On what attracted him to his new wife and whether he would sire children with her, he said;
“Apart from the fact that she is beautiful, she is also down-to-earth, understanding, religious and rooted in the marital institution. Only Allah knows if we are going to have children. You never know what the Almighty can do. It is not in our hands, but His hands.”
On her part, Rahmat said that it was destined that they would end up as a couple.
“Allah has a reason for bringing us together and my prayers is for him to bless us and give us peace and understanding in our home.” she added.
@Julesv0923 who shared her story on TikTok, revealed that her mother opened up on her affair while she was on a trip to Mexico.
A lady has narrated how she discovered that her mother was pregnant with her boyfriend’s baby, TM reports.
The lady in the video disclosed that she felt she was going to have a sibling but was shocked after being told that the man responsible for the pregnancy was her boyfriend at the time.
Chelsea football club of England have reached an agreement with Leicester City over the transfer of defender, Wesley Fofana.
The the agreed fee is £70m plus add-ons, but the detail of the structure of payments, and exact terms of add-ons are still to be decided, according to Sky Sports.
Sky Sports say the personal salary terms between Fofana and Chelsea are expected to be agreed quickly while Leicester are now looking at possible replacements.
Leicester city manager, Brendan Rodgers confirmed on Thursday that Fofana, who missed last weekend’s defeat to Southampton amid transfer interest from Chrlsea would also be unavailable for Saturday’s trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea.
“He won’t be available for the weekend and has trained with the U23 squad,” Rodgers told reporters ahead of Saturday’s game.
“My concentration is on the players that we have, and the team. I can’t lose energy. If something will be done, it will be done with the clubs. Until that happens we just have to work with what we have.”
Rodgers added: “Hopefully [there will be some transfer business done between now and the end of the window]. That would be really good for the team to be able to do that, to improve the squad is always important. But until that changes, we will work with what we have.”
Rodgers said earlier in the week Leicester had rejected a third bid from Chelsea for Fofana and expressed his hope the situation be resolved soon.
A third Chelsea bid for Fofana, worth £70m in total, was immediately rejected earlier this week.
Chelsea previously had two bids in excess of £60m rejected. The new bid of £75m total was submitted on Thursday, August 25 and accepted on Friday, August 26.
Chelsea played Leicester on Saturday afternoon, August 27.
The Central Bank of Nigeria has unveiled the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) code for its eNaira, indicating that Nigerians without internet-enabled phones can use eNaira for transactions.
The decision by the apex bank to use the USSD as the offline channel for the eNaira was based on an understanding of the unique features of our economy, taking into account the fact that, as of right now, about 50% of adult Nigerians are not bank customers and are therefore not eligible for formal financial services.
The eNaira’s first phase was concentrated on banked customers, while the second phase is on financial inclusion, according to Emefiele, who made this revelation at the grand conclusion of the eNaira Hackathon.
In order to promote financial inclusion and give Nigerians access to unlimited opportunities through financial services, the new code *997# was introduced.
What the CBN is saying
Godwin Emefiele, CBN governor, represented by Folashodun Adenisi-Shonubi, deputy governor of operations, inaugurated the USSD transaction code on Thursday at the eNaira fair 2022, in Kano.
“It captures the slogan ‘same naira, more possibilities’, and designed to positively impact lives of Nigerians, and transform the economy.”
“The eNaira is expected to enhance inclusion, support poverty reduction, enable direct welfare disbursement to citizens, support a resilient payments ecosystem, improve availability and usability of central bank money,” he said.
In addition, it would lower the cost of processing cash and boost the effectiveness of cross-border transfers, according to Emefiele.
He estimates that 35.9% of Nigerians do not have access to formal financial services, and around 45% do not have bank accounts.
However, he claimed that 86 million of Nigeria’s 106 million adults, or nearly 81% are mobile phone owners.
“In addition, there are 150 million mobile subscribers in Nigeria, according to NCC, June 2022.
“Therefore, eNaira seeks to leverage the huge opportunity mobile telecommunication presents, as a distribution channel, for the offering of digital services to the underserved and unbanked population,” he said.
A supporter of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ukamaka Ejezie aka Mama Biafra, has been released from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
IPOB’s lead counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, confirmed this in a series of tweets.
The 80-year-old woman was reportedly arrested during a court appearance of IPOB’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu, at the Federal High Court, Abuja on May 18.
“I am very delighted to inform you all that Mrs Ukamaka Ejezie (Mama Biafra) has regained her freedom.
“She is now out of the DSS dungeon,” Ejiofor wrote.
He added that they were not relenting in their bid to ensure “every prisoner of conscience” is released including Kanu.
According to him, “We in the legal team, are doing everything legally permissible to make it happen, we are not resting on our oars at all, be assured.”
Instagram star Iranian Hulk, real name Sajad Gharibi, has removed dozens of images from the social media platform over claims that they have been photoshopped.
The move comes in the aftermath of his defeat in the boxing ring by Kazakh boxer Almat Bakhytovich, which was described as “embarrassing” following an opening-round stoppage last month.
Footage of the fight suggested that Gharibi did not possess the physique displayed in his Instagram photos which showed him looking so big and sculpted. His looks helped him Garner over a million followers on Instagram plus interviews on different western media publications.
During the fight last month, he struggled to even keep himself up or throw any punches.
Since the fight, Gharibi has been deleting photos of himself that showed off his incredible size, and by Thursday, August 25 had only 14 posts on his page.
The remaining photos and videos on his feed show the Iranian Hulk to be much more human in his appearance.
Ahead of the fight, his trainer Hamzeh Moradian had said Gharibi was “too shy” to spar in public, and there were even suggestions he would pull out of the bout.
Moradian told the Daily Mirror: “When we talked, I told him that there is no way Sajad can fight. I said that I don’t mean to intervene, but I think it’s better if it’s canceled.
“When they tried to cancel it, they realized that they can’t do it, because they had to pay a penalty.”
“There are rules anyways, and people working in sports know that it’s not possible to cancel such events and he had to attend.”
Earlier this year, boxer Martyn Ford canceled a scheduled fight against Gharibi over fears about the Iranian’s mental health.
In photographs of the pair, Ford was also clearly larger than his billed opponent — another indicator that Gharibi’s online photos had been doctored.
“He was not what I expected,” Ford said. “I think he’s just fooled the world with photoshop, if I’m honest. Seeing him in real life is not as impressive as seeing him in pictures. So ‘disheartening’ I think is the word. He was tiny.”
Watch how he was beaten at the fight last month
Somebody please pay Iranian Hulk to never step foot inside a boxing ring again pic.twitter.com/Ip3IH4wiyc
— Bowls,Beers,Brawls (@Bowl_Beer_Brawl) July 31, 2022
British Airways is reportedly considering stopping flights to Nigeria from December 1, 2022, as the trapped $464m foreign airlines’ fund crisis lingers in the country.
The airline has reportedly closed its inventory, meaning travel agents would not be able to issue fresh tickets for their clients, but individuals can buy tickets only online, only in dollars.
It is speculated that the decision was taken to mitigate the effect of blocked funds as foreign airlines plan to take drastic action including suspension of flights to pressure the Nigerian Government to release their funds.
Emirates Airlines had already announced that it would suspend flights to Nigerian from September 1 over the same issue as the UAE carrier has over $85m trapped in Nigeria.
Daily Trust reported that the National Executive Council of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) confirmed the development with regards to British Airways.
Members of the association were told not to issue or pay for tickets beyond December following the new development and deadline issued to Nigerian government by British Airways.
The memo read;
“The National Executive Council of NANTA just concluded a business meeting with British Airways and British Airways conveys assurance that it remains committed to servicing the needs of travel agencies in Nigeria.
“As members may be aware that British Airways closed inventory this morning, please be informed that, this inventory closure is a necessary action taken by British Airways to mitigate increase of their trapped funds.
“However, British Airways provides reassurance that it is still flying in and out of Nigeria and is currently seeking earnest solutions to address the demands of its customers.”
Travel agents were also told that tickets can only be issued online with payment made in dollars.
The second memo read;
“The above message is the new development with regards to British airways. Tickets will be issued in USD henceforth and only online.
“They have also given the Nigerian government a deadline in December. By which time if payment isn’t made, they will stop all flights into and out of Nigeria.
“Please do not pay for or issue tickets beyond December. We will update you as soon as we receive any new developments.”
Pharmaceutical company, Moderna has said it is suing rival, Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech for patent infringement in the development of the first Covid-19 vaccine.
Morderna, which is US based, alleges that the mRNA technology it developed before the pandemic was copied.
In a statement, Moderna said Pfizer/BioNTech copied two types of its intellectual property. One involved an mRNA structure that Moderna says its scientists began developing in 2010 and were the first to validate in human trials in 2015.
The second alleged infringement involves the coding of the spike protein on the outside of the virus itself.
“We are filing these lawsuits to protect the innovative mRNA technology platform that we pioneered, invested billions of dollars in creating, and patented during the decade preceding the Covid-19 pandemic,” Moderna chief executive Stephane Bancel said.
The lawsuit, which is seeking unspecified financial damages, was filed in the US and Germany.
Pfizer said it was “surprised” by the action and would defend itself against the allegations.
Moderna, which was only formed as a company in 2010, was an early developer of the mRNA technology used commercially for the first time in Covid vaccines.
The vaccine uses a molecule of genetic code called messenger RNA to generate an immune response.
The RNA trains the body to fight off the real virus when it comes into contact with it.
Early in the pandemic, Moderna said it would not enforce its patents to help other drug companies develop their own jabs, particularly for low- and middle-income countries.
But in March 2022 it said rivals such as Pfizer and BioNTech would have to respect its intellectual property rights.
Patent lawsuits are common in the development of new technology and Moderna itself is being sued for alleged patent infringement in an ongoing dispute with the US National Institutes of Health.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has asked the people of the South-East to be burying their dead ones within three days as it was done in the olden days claiming that is contributing to the major problems of Ndigbo in recent times.
These were made known in a statement by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on Wednesday.
According to the group, the present habit of keeping dead bodies more than three days, months and years in the mortuary has had dire effects on Igbo land and contributed to the moral decadence and all manner of evil that have taken root.
The group said the only corpses that should be allowed to stay in the mortuary for more than the stipulated period were those under investigation or with court-related matters.
The statement read, “Our ancestors were burying their dead ones within three days and that is our culture and it helped our ancestors spiritually. Igbos have a very rich and spiritually-based culture which our ancestors maintained from the beginning of time.
“The present habit of keeping dead bodies more than three days and even months and years in the mortuary has had dire effects on our land and contributed to the spiritual weakness of the Igbo Nation and of the entire Biafraland, moral decadence and all manner of evil that have taken root in our land.
“Now that IPOB has come to realise that this alien practice of keeping the dead on land rather than committing it to mother earth has had a very negative impact on our people and upon our land, it has therefore become very imperative to urge our people to revert to the old practices that had very positive effects upon our well-being, both spiritually and otherwise.
“After some thorough investigation, we have come to the realisation that all the reasons given by our people which caused the unnecessary delay in burying our dead within a short period are neither cogent nor important enough. These reasons are all man-made mostly monetary conditions from the bereaved families, traditional rites, churches and Umunna.
“Our people have turned burial into a carnival and asking families to pay levies or debt for their dead ones. This is an abomination and must be stopped forthwith.
“As it was in past, bereaved families should be allowed to commit their dead ones to mother earth while a date for the burial ceremony is fixed for a later date as well as whatever levies that need to be collected.
“But using reasons of non-payment of burial levies to stockpile corpses in the mortuaries is what IPOB doesn’t want again in our territory. Our people should revert to our old healthy tradition of burying the dead and do the needful at specific times within their reach.
“IPOB will engage church leaders, town unions and traditional rulers and Umunna on this regard. We are advising them to prepare their minds on this clarion call because IPOB will develop a strategy of curtailing the excessive use of mortuary in our region.
“This strategy may include compelling the shutdown of so many mortuaries littered all over our land. The only dead bodies that can be allowed to stay longer in the mortuary are those in court or under police investigation.
“Igbos are shrinking in life because we dishonour the dead by keeping dead bodies in mortuaries for too long than necessary in these mortuaries. Any nation, tribe or family that keeps the dead without putting the corpse into the dust is causing a disservice to themselves.
“The Igboland has been turned into a gigantic mortuary where corpses are dumped with the accompanying dire consequences to our land and this attitude and practice must stop forthwith.
“Owners of mortuaries in our land must start planning for another business. We are not against those engaged in the mortuary business but we are against keeping dead ones longer than necessary because we are planning to march and we cannot keep dead bodies unburied before we match.
“IPOB is encouraging our people on the need to accord respect to our departed beloved ones by burying them immediately. In the olden days, our ancestors embalmed the dead in the house and buried within three days.
“Ndigbo were not cowards and lazy but today our land is devastated and destroyed completely by unknown gunmen and IPOB will not allow that to continue.”
Arsenal and Côte d’Ivoire striker, Nicolas Pepe has joined French Ligue 1 club, OGC Nice on a season-long loan deal.
Pepe is the latest Arsenal player to go on loan following in the foot steps of Nuno Tavares, Pablo Mari and Folarin Balogun.
The arrival of Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City and the presence of Saka on the wings meant it was always gonna be tough for Pepe to play consistently this season hence the club’s decision to send him on loan.
The Gunners confirmed the loan deal on their Twitter handle on Thursday.
“Nicolas Pepe has joined Ligue 1 side OCG Nice on loan for the 2022/23 season,” the statement read.
“The 27-year-old joined us from French side Lille at the start of the 2019/20 season and has made a total of 111 appearances for us in all competitions, scoring 27 goals.
“The winger notably ended his debut season being in the starting line-up for the 2020 FA Cup Final, setting up the winning goal in our 2-1 victory over Chelsea.
“Nico has been a regular in the Ivory Coast national team since making his debut in 2016, being a part of his country’s squad at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017, 2019 and 2021. He has made 34 appearances for Ivory Coast, scoring nine goals.
“Everyone at Arsenal wishes Nico well in France with Nice next season.
“The deal is subject to the completion of regulatory processes.”
The COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Federal Government is set for trial by November
The PUNCH reports that the project, which is a mega research grant intervention tagged, ‘Accelerated development of COVID-19 vaccines using innovative technological approach’, is a collaborative effort involving cluster researchers from five different institutions to consolidate problem-solving research and promote innovation in the country.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that Tertiary Education Trust Fund awarded a total of N1.25bn to four clusters of researchers.
One of the clusters, which is the Vaccine Production Cluster, got a total grant of N450m.
According to a statement by TETFUND and made available to our correspondent in Abuja, the VPC is made up of researchers from the National Veterinary Research Institute Vom; Usman Danfodiyo University Sokoto; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Jos; Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos; and National Research Institute for Chemical Technology, Zaria.
The statement titled, ‘TETFund-sponsored COVID-19 vaccine ready for trial November’ read in part, “The Vice Chancellor of Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Prof Lawal Bilbis, who led the team of researchers to brief the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, on the progress so far explained that they were able to make the breakthrough through the maximum support of the fund.
“He recalled how the COVIC-19 pandemic ravaged and unleashed untold hardship on humanity globally, noting that Nigeria was only saved by divine intervention, since the nation was not prepared for such eventuality.
“TETFund believed in us and supported us to get to where we are now. That is why we have come to give a firsthand report on the progress made so far.”
A presentation by Dr Bashir Bello of Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, revealed that it had become a matter of urgency for Africa to join the rest of the world in the production of its own vaccine, as it was estimated that the continent currently imports 99 per cent of its vaccines and consumes 25 per cent of global vaccine supply.
He said, “We graciously got the support of TETFund not only in COVID-19, but also in Lassa Fever and other infectious diseases because whether we like it or not, diseases will continue to emerge and re-emerge. They don’t have international boundaries and that is why they are called pandemic.
“That was when we realised that we really need to sit up. Those producing these vaccines abroad are mostly Nigerians after all. So why can’t we do it here? That is why we decided to form a consortium, and TETFund was magnanimous to release N225m for the first tranche.”
Meanwhile, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Thursday, assured the German-based mRNA vaccine manufacturer, BioNTech, of Nigeria’s readiness to collaborate towards the local production of vaccines.
Buhari said he looked forward to receiving a commitment from the company to expand collaboration to achieve Nigeria’s goal of developing capacities for research, development and manufacturing.
According to a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President stated this when he met with the Executive Chairman of KENUP Foundation and representative of the Chief Executive Officer of BioNTech, the mRNA vaccine patent holder in Africa, Mr Holm Keller, at the State House, Abuja.
The statement is titled ‘mRNA vaccine production: Buhari welcomes exploratory interactions between Nigerian scientists, BioNTech.’
Buhari said, “We are impressed with the numerous possibilities said to be around the mRNA technology, and hence seek cooperation with well-intentioned organisations, including yours, to build a strong bilateral partnership with your company and your affiliate bodies, as science gets closer to understanding the possibilities around successful mRNA technology.”
The exchange rate between the naira and the US dollar fell to N698/$1 on Thursday morning, 25th of August 2022. This is according to information from several black market forex traders, who spoke to Nairametrics.
Naira fell further against the US dollar from N696/$1 recorded on Wednesday to N698/$1 on Thursday, representing a 0.29% depreciation as FX traders attributed the falling currency to sustained scarcity of the dollar and increased demand.
The exchange rate had recovered from the shocking downturn recorded in late July when naira dipped as low as N718 to a dollar. The rate averaged around N672/$1 in the first week of August and maintained stability for most parts of the month. However, surging demand for foreign exchange and liquidity crunch as driven rate upward and depreciated the local currency at the unofficial market.
Similarly, at the cryptocurrency peer-to-peer exchange, naira fell to N696/$1 in the early hours of Thursday, from N692.9/$1 recorded in the previous trading session.
The exchange rate at the official Investors and Exporters window also depreciated in the last trading session, falling marginally by 0.08% to close at N431/$1 from N430.67/$1 recorded on Tuesday, 23rd August 2022.
Meanwhile, a total of $131.3 million in FX value was traded on Wednesday, 24th August 2022 which is 25.3% lower than the $175.67 million that exchanged hands in the previous session.
Nigerian army troops from Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have eliminated more than 57 terrorists in different operations that occured from Aug. 11 to 25 in the North East, according to a press briefing from Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, made this known at a bi-weekly news briefing of the Defence Headquarters on Thursday in Abuja, August 25.
Danmadami said the air and land operations were conducted on the Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) enclaves in Borno and Yobe which led to the killing of unspecified number of terrorists with more than 18 of them seriously wounded.
He added that eight suspected terrorists and four terrorists’ logistic suppliers were apprehended as well .
According to him, a total of 1,652 Boko Haram Terrorists and their families comprising of 320 adult males, 442 women and 890 children surrendered to troops at different location within the period.
“The air component on Aug. 20, carried out strikes on terrorists’ enclaves in Sambisa Forest and the Tumbuns in Borno with various degree of success recorded.
“Acting on credible intelligence about the gathering of terrorists at a location revealed to be the enclave of a notorious terrorist being hosted by a top-ranking commander.
“He is believed to be the ISWAP leader of Sambisa Forest who took over the leadership after the demise of Abubakar Shekau.
“Consequently, the air strikes were carried out on the enclave. Feedback revealed that 25 of the terrorists were neutralized in the strikes with 18 serious wounded.
“Among those neutralised was a high-profile commander known as Uzaifa, who was the ‘MINZIR’, which connotes the fourth in line of the terrorist leadership structure.
“Similar air strikes were conducted in the Tumbuns near Lake Chad at a location revealed to be the training camp of the terrorists.
“Reports revealed that scores of the terrorists were neutralised in the strikes.
“All recovered items and rescued civilians were handed over to relevant authorities while the surrendered Boko Haram terrorist members and their families were profiled for further action,’’ he said.
Real Madrid and France forward Karim Benzema has been named 2021/22 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year.
The 34-year-old, who led the club to a record-extending 14th Champions League title last season and helped France to UEFA Nations League success, held off competition from club-mate Thibaut Courtois and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.
“I’m really happy,” he said as he collected his award. “It’s the first time I’ve won this trophy but for me the most important thing is to win trophies with the team. Mr Ancelotti is the best coach in the world; he gets it right with every player, he gives us confidence and he tells you what to do before every match.”
The award was announced during the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Istanbul.
His coach, Ancelotti also became the first manager to win Europe’s most prestigious club trophy four times. He first won the title with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007 before claiming it with Real in 2014.
When asked how he had become the most successful coach in the competition, Ancelotti said: ‘The passion I have for the sport and the quality of the players.
‘Last season there was a fantastic connection between the veterans and young ones, there was fantastic chemistry with the supporters that helped us reach an unbelievable achievement.’
On Benzema, Ancelotti said: ‘Karim is not just a fantastic striker and top scorer, he’s a fantastic footballer, supported by great attitude day by day.
‘Compared to last year, this year he improved his knowledge, he knows the game really well, how to manage the game and he’s a strong leader in the dressing room and a good friend of mine. We are lucky to have Karim.’
Russia’s Defence Ministry revealed on Thursday August 25, its military had struck a railway station in eastern Ukraine, confirming a Wednesday attack which Kyiv says also hit a residential area and killed 25 civilians as the nation marked its Independence Day.
In its daily briefing, the Russian Defence ministry said an Iskander missile had hit a military train on Wednesday at the station of Chaplyne that had been set to deliver arms to Ukrainian forces on the frontline in the eastern Donbas region.
Ukrainian presidential aide Kyrylo Tymoshenko said 21 people were killed when the strike hit the railway station and set five train carriages ablaze, while a young boy died when a missile hit his home in the location. The death toll rose to 25 on Thursday after three more bodies were retrieved from rubble, Tymoshenko confirmed.
According to the Russian ministry, about 200 Ukrainian military personnel had died in the attack.
The Chaplyne attack and artillery shelling of frontline towns, including Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Nikopol and Dnipro, came after Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s warnings of Russian provocations before the Wednesday’s 31st anniversary of Ukraine’s declaration of independence from Moscow-dominated Soviet rule.
Aug. 24 also marked six months since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, starting Europe’s most devastating conflict since World War Two.
Lucky Irabor, the Chief of Defence Staff has said that 137 out of about 261 borders in the north-east and north-west regions of the country are unguarded.
Delivering a lecture on “security, defence & development in Nigeria” at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos on Thursday August 25, Irabor noted that porous nature of the borders has made it easily accessible for terrorists and bandits to enter the country to commit mayhem.
He said;
“Our borders are largely unmanned. The penetrability of our vast unmanned land areas – the north-east and north-west zones, particularly Borno, Yobe, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina states – with neigbouring countries such as Niger Republic and Chad among others has continued to be a key source of criminality and violent crimes in those parts of the country.
“The porous nature of the borders has made it easily accessible for terrorists and bandits to enter the country to commit mayhem. For instance, there are about 364 approved international border points in Nigeria with about 261 in the north-east and north-west regions. Out of this 261 only 124 are manned leaving the remaining 137 unmanned by security agencies. Intelligence suggests that violence actors are using some of these normal border points to move freely from countries into Nigeria to cause mayhem.”
Irabor who advocated for use of technology as a tool in strengthening the Nigerian borders, erection of physical structures and an effective management, added that there is a need to have a broad based integrated border management system to be established.
He said;
“So I am looking ahead, when we bring technology to bear in the management of our borders, in addition of course, to physical, structures that need to be established across the length of our borders, then we cam contribute to the overall security of our land.
“We move to correct this but the point remains that a good number of borders remain unmanned.”
Kim Jong-un has taken new measures over fears of assassination by building several new mansions in North Korea so his enemies can never know where he’s sleeping.
New analysis revealed eight new luxury houses have been built in the Ch’angkwangsan Compound, a secretive estate at the heart of Pyongyang.
The study, from North Korea Leadership Watch, also identified a new guard building and several plots of land for future mansions.
Michael Madden, an expert on the country’s elite, said one potential reason for the construction was to make a ‘decapitation strike’ harder.
He said: ‘This would be an attack from outside the country targeting the North Korean leadership, along with command and control over its military assets.
‘The most significant activity occurred about ten years ago when South Korean forces simulated such an attack – and it sent Pyongyang into a tizzy.’
Madden continued: ‘This is another round in a decades-long cat-and-mouse game in which the leader of North Korea eludes current satellite views of his whereabouts.
‘Sometimes it involves early morning travel, underground facilities or decoy motorcades.
‘If you think he is in one house, well guess again, he might be in another.’
In Kim’s case, the compound is perfectly placed to allow him to grasp the gears of power as well as to sate his legendary appetite.
Mr. Madden said: ‘These new residences are located in the heart of Pyongyang.
‘They are across the street from the ruling party’s Central Committee Departments’ office buildings.
‘These departments are some of the most powerful institutions in North Korean political culture as they supervise the work of government, security and military organisations.
‘The Ch’angkwangsan Compound is also close to a number of venues where the North Korean leadership holds national events, as well as Pyongyang’s restaurant row.’
‘Kim Jong-un has about 13 residential compounds located throughout the country,’ said Mr Madden.
‘Each of these compounds has residences for him and his family, and entertainment and dining facilities.
‘And then there are a series of guest houses which are inhabited by other family members and close aides.
‘When we are looking at images like this and see luxury houses, it is a pretty restricted population of people who will live in them.’
The mansions could also be new homes for members of his family, members of the Ko family – Kim Jong-un’s maternal relations, or his in-laws.
No fewer than 91 students from Zamfara state who are on state-sponsored scholarships have been expelled by Cyprus International University over the failure of their state government to pay their tuition fees.
One of the affected students who spoke to BBC Hausa on condition of anonymity said
“We started having the problem between the school and the Zamfara state government since our first year in school but we thought it could be resolved without raising our voices.
When the Zamfara state government sent us here (Cyprus), they had agreements with school. But from all indications, those or part of the agreements were obviously not fulfilled, hence the negative reaction of the school.
For example, when we were coming here (Cyprus), they told us that our school fees have been paid for a few years. We were also told that we would be paid allowances of 100 dollars. But when we came initially, they gave us some money but not up to $100 as promised, and that was the beginning of the problem.
This is our third year in this country and the situation has gotten worst. It has gotten to the point that the school said they won’t tolerate us again, and had to send us out of school and also evicted us out of the hostel. At the moment, we are homeless, devastated and don’t know what to do.
We don’t have food nor do we have befitting shelter because the school has chased us out of the hostel. Many of us have resorted to sleeping in Mosques and other unhealthy/unsafe places. We don’t know where some of the students are now, but I believe that many of them have found their ways of survival. This is our second month of being in this inhumane condition here.”
Also speaking, a female student of the university said
“We are 10 female students staying in one corner of where we found ourselves. The worst of the situation is that we are faced with the arrest threat from the Cyprus Police and other law enforcement agencies because we have not paid for our resident permit for three years now. So, we are under serious threat. We don’t even go out now to avoid being picked up by the police which could result in possible imprisonment that might last for years.”
Reacting to the development, the Zamfara state Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara, said efforts are being made to resolve the pending issues.
“We are working to make the balance payment as quickly as possible. Besides, the State Government had an agreement with Cyprus University that the remaining part of the money would be paid as soon as possible.
Also, these students should know from day one that some challenges might be witnessed in the studies abroad but that does not mean we have abandoned them.”he said
The Labour Party flag bearer for the forthcoming 2023 presidential election says he is currently en route to the United States of America, USA.
The former Anambra State governor made this known in a tweet on his official handle.
Obi said he would be meeting with some Nigerians in Germany, Italy, and Canada over his ambition to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
According to him, the Nigerians in Diaspora are held in very high esteem following their contributions to national development.
He wrote, En route to the U.S.A, I’ll make a pit stop in Germany to interact with Nigerians in Germany.
I hold Nigerians in Diaspora in very high esteem; they represent the core of our human development capital and contribute immensely to nation building via remittances and technical knowledge transfer.
My present outing will take me to Germany, Italy, Canada & the U.S.A. I look forward to the very constructive engagements.
A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has said talks of an alliance between his party’s presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, may be reignited.
Naija News understands that Peter Obi and Kwankwaso could not come to an agreement when they had held talks about allying ahead of the 2023 election.
It was gathered that the duo could not agree on who should drop his presidential ambition and settle for the running mate ticket.
Speaking to Daily Independent, Galadima said there could be another chance for both parties to discuss about forming an alliance before next year’s election.
He, however, expressed disappointment that the NNPP could not seal a deal with the Labour Party.
According to him, If an alliance is sealed, next year’s election would have been won by noon.
Asked if he was disappointed about the outcome of the failed talks, Buba Galadima said: “You know I chaired that meeting. Yes, definitely. I was disappointed that it didn’t happen.
“If that union had taken place, the election of Nigeria on February 25, 2023 would have ended by 12pm. In fact, some of us would have been in Dubai or Paris dining when we would be told that we have won the election.
“But you know, ego would be what I considered to be part of the issues. And people think that what we say in the press is what happens in actual life.
“I don’t want to go into it because there could still be another chance for us to talk to each other.”
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, on Thursday said the Federal Government could resolve the ongoing strike in one day.
National President of ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke, said the Federal Government could resolve the strike if they prioritized the demands of the union.
Speaking with Arise News Morning Show, Osodeke, Nigerian leaders would resolve the strike quickly if their children are schooling in the country.
Osodeke said Government should prioritize education like Nnamdi Azikiwe and Awolowo, and older leaders did in this country. When we were in school, we were paid bursaries, but all that is gone now.
This issue can be resolved in one day if the priority is there. If Nigerian leaders have their children in Nigeria, they would resolve the problem quickly.
We must look for a way to ensure the children of our leaders’ school in the country so they would enjoin and suffer what we are suffering.
A Connecticut father is facing sickening child abuse charges for allegedly forcing his child to eat his own feces, a report said.
Kevin Grant, 33, allegedly made his children hit each other with a spiked baseball bat, according to an affidavit obtained by WFSB.
As part of the same two-year probe, Grant had earlier been hit with second-degree assault and other charges for allegedly forcing his stepson to sleep in a closet for months and making him guzzle hot sauce until he vomited.
According to the new charging document, Grant’s four children, ages 5 to 11, were forced to witness their siblings’ torture.
In one instance, Grant allegedly locked one of the children inside a closet as a form of punishment. When the child said he had to go to the bathroom, Grant reportedly gave him a box to defecate in while he was locked inside.
The father then allegedly forced the child’s crying siblings to watch as he made the child eat his own feces while telling them “this is what happens when you don’t behave,” the affidavit said.
Two of the boy’s siblings snuck their brother some milk, but they were caught by Grant and one was beaten with a belt “so badly that he thought he was going to die,” according to the charging document.
Grant is also accused of putting firecrackers in one of the children’s pants and laughing as they went off.
Police said Grant was taken into custody on August 10 and charged with reckless endangerment, risk of injury to a child, and intentional cruelty to persons.
The father is awaiting his trial for similar charges from the original investigation, which began in Oct. 2020.
Grant’s wife, Kaitlin Elizabeth Baptiste, 29, was also arrested back in Oct. 2020 on charges including risk of injury to a child and second-degree reckless endangerment since “she was aware” that Grant was abusing his child and did nothing to stop it, police allege.
An Italian man has become the first person to simultaneously test positive for monkeypox, Covid, and HIV.
Earlier this year, a 36-year-old Italian male began to develop a series of symptoms including fatigue, fever, and a sore throat nine days after returning from a trip to Spain.
The man, who has not been identified, spent five days in Spain from 16 to 20 June 2022 during which he admitted to having unprotected sex with men.
On July 2, the man tested positive for Covid, according to a case study report published in the Journal of Infection.
On the afternoon of the same day, a rash started to develop on his left arm. The following day, small, painful vesicles surrounded by a rash appeared on the man’s torso, lower limbs, face, and glutes.
By July 5, the vesicles had further spread and evolved into pustules – small bumps on the skin at which point the man went to the emergency department at the San Marco University Hospital in Catania, yItaly, a/nd was subsequently transferred to the Infectious Diseases unit.
There, he was tested for monkeypox and subsequently returned a positive result.
The patient was also screened for multiple STIs. He tested positive for HIV-1, and the researchers said that ‘given his preserved CD4 count, we could assume that the infection was relatively recent.’
The patient had taken an HIV test in September 2021 and returned a negative result.
After recovering from Covid-19 and monkeypox, the patient was discharged from hospital on July 11 and sent home to isolate.
By this stage, his skin lesions had healed, after crusting over, leaving a small scar.
‘This case highlights how monkeypox and Covid-19 symptoms may overlap, and corroborates how in case of co-infection, anamnestic collection and sexual habits are crucial to perform the correct diagnosis,’ the researchers, from the University of Catania, said in their case report.
‘To note, the monkeypox oropharyngeal swab was still positive after 20 days, suggesting that these individuals may still be contagious for several days after clinical remission,’ the report said.
‘Consequently, physicians should encourage appropriate precautions.’
The researchers added: ‘As this is the only reported case of monkeypox virus, SARS-CoV-2 and HIV co-infection, there is still not enough evidence supporting that this combination may aggravate patient’s condition.
‘Given the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the daily increase of monkeypox cases, healthcare systems must be aware of this eventuality.’
Ayo Adebanjo, leader of Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, says Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), shares the same cause as him.
Adebanjo and the leadership of the Southern and Middle Belt Forum (SMBLF) met with the former Anambra state governor on Tuesday.
The meeting came about six weeks after Adebanjo endorsed the candidacy of Obi.
Commenting on the meeting in an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday, Adebanjo said Obi believes in restructuring and is fighting for oppressed Nigerians.
“He (Obi) came to meet Southern and Middlebelt leaders in my house. It was an exchange of views; we believe in the same cause,” he said, adding that they won’t back any candidate that does not support restructuring,” he was quoted as saying.
“We are all partners in progress. The fight he is fighting is a fight for the oppressed.
“Restructuring was at the front burner; we should have a country first before we have any development plan. That is the pillar on which the Southern and Middlebelt leaders stand.
“Constitutional review, community policing, devolution of power and others are all embedded in restructuring. Where we have a constitution where everybody is dissatisfied, you won’t have peace and without peace, there will be no stability. These are fundamental.
“There is nothing new about restructuring; we are only saying let us go back to where we started before the military came. Where did we start? The constitution was made in 1964, endorsed by Awolowo, Azikwe and Sardauna, and was what we had until the military came in 1966 and imposed this constitution.
“This constitution is a fraudulent one and the government has never refuted it. They set aside the constitution before 1966, imposed this one and included all the things that were excluded that are causing confusion till today. We must go back to that constitution.”
After 25 years of marriage, Sylvester Stallone and his wife Jennifer Flavin are going their separate ways.
Jennifer Flavin filed documents in Florida on Friday, August 19.
In the documents, she accused the actor of moving assets from marital funds.
Fans sensed trouble when Sylvester covered up the tattoo of Jennifer’s face on his arm with an image of his dog.
In the divorce documents, Flavin made it clear she wants exclusive domain over their house in Palm Beach while divorce proceedings wind their way through the courts.
Jennifer wants to restore her last name — Flavin. She also wants a judge to put the brakes on Sly moving assets from the marital funds.
Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin’s divorce was reportedly initiated after they got into an argument on if the actor should get a new dog.
Sources told TMZ that the “Rocky” star wanted to get a Rottweiler to protect the family, but Jennifer did not want another dog. They were reportedly at loggerheads over the pooch, and they each fiercely stuck to their positions.
It was alleged that they had an extremely heated argument that brought up other issues, even though none of them appeared to be marriage-enders.
Stallone ended up getting the dog named Dwight, also the name of his character on his new show “Tulsa King.”
He posted videos and photos of him with Dwight this month on Instagram with the caption “So incredibly happy with my newly acquired four legged friend ”DWIGHT“ my characters name from the Series, keep punching and keep barking !!! Thank you very much to Trainer and breeder Dave Smith and his wonderful wife !!!”
The actor also shared another post with the caption “”DWIGHT” Definitely a true friend! KeepPunching And Keep barking!”
Though Stallone who is currently in Oklahoma shooting his show is shocked about the divorce filing by Jennifer, he however feels they can work out their differences.
The actor had also put a Rottweiler on his arm over the tattoo he had of Jennifer. The photo surfaced Monday on DailyMail, but that was after Jennifer filed for divorce.
Labour Party, LP, candidate of Anambra State House of Assembly for Oyi state constituency, Obinna Okafor, has explained the rationale behind the defection of LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, himself, and other prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to Labour Party.
Okafor, who made the disclosure, weekend, during the New Yam Festival of his Nkwelle-Ezunaka community, Oyi Local Government Area, hinted that they decamped from the PDP to the LP because PDP did not treat the South-East zone fairly since the inception of this present dispensation in 1999.
Okafor further explained that Peter Obi and others were chieftains of PDP, and have been loyal and voted massively for the party more than other geopolitical zones but when they discovered that the southeast geopolitical zone has not been treated fairly, they decided to dump the party as a group.
According to Okafor: “The first time we believed it was our time was in 1999 when the late Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, contested for Presidency but it was given to Obasanjo, to appease the South West because of the death of MKO Abiola.
“Now, this 2023 should be the second chance for the southeast but somewhere along the line, PDP thwarted our chance and some of us who are progressives left PDP because of this to Labour Party”.
On the intra-PDP crisis now rocking the party, the House of Assembly hopeful reiterated that one could not after building a house, leave it for another person to inhabit.
To buttress his point , he stated: “In 2015, the likes of Tambuwal, Atiku Abubakar, Saraki, Rotimi Amaechi, among others, left us in PDP for APC to be with President Muhammadu Buhari, and that is what we are suffering today.
“We had Wike, who stood his ground and uplifted the party financially, morally and got the party to where it is today. If there is anything like inheritance, Wike should inherit the Presidential ticket of the PDP and not Atiku Abubakar. Should Wike be the Presidential candidate of PDP? Yes!”
Explaining further, he stated that the North, through President Muhammadu Buhari, is about rounding up for the South to take over, adding, “Why should we have another Muslim Northerner in a circular state like Nigeria?”
adding that the only constant thing in life is change, “from where we share money to where we engage people, ‘Obidient”.
A Russian leader in charge of a town in Ukraine’s occupied Zaporizhzhia region has been killed by a car bomb, days after the daughter of a prominent Russian ultranationalist died in a similar fashion at the weekend.
Ivan Sushko, a 40-year-old father-of-one, died this morning, August 24, when a car bomb detonated under his seat, according to Vladimir Rogov, a representative of the local Russian-proxy administration.
Rogov announced on Telegram that Sushko was rushed to a hospital in critical condition after the blast, but he succumbed to his injuries there.
It was reported that Sushko was taking his daughter to a nursery at the time of the explosion.
The child is not thought to have sustained life-threatening injuries, but this has not been verified.
Sushko was installed as head of the Mykhailivka ‘military-civilian administration’ by occupying Russian forces in May, in the region where Europe’s largest nuclear plant is under siege.
Putin loyalist Rogov said the attack was carried out by ‘saboteurs’ in the region, and vowed to track them down, claiming Ukraine was attacking Russian-backed officials who ‘help improve the lives of ordinary people’.
Ukrainian officials have not yet commented on the bombing, but President Volodymyr Zelensky has strongly denied his agents carried out the assassination of Darya Dugina, 29, the daughter of ‘Putin’s Rasputin’, at the weekend.
He rejected any link to Natalia Shaban-Vovk, a 43-year-old mother who Russia says acted for Kyiv’s SBU secret service, going so far as to claim she is not even a Ukrainian citizen.
‘This is definitely not our responsibility,’ he said. ‘She is not a citizen of our country.
‘She is of no interest to us. She is not on the territory of Ukraine or the occupied territory of Ukraine.’
Russia says Dugina, daughter of ultranationalist philosopher Alexander Dugin , a man described as the brains behind Putin’s invasion of Ukraine died a ‘martyr’ when she was killed in a car bombing in Moscow.
The FSB secret service in Moscow immediately pinned the killing on Ukraine, pointing to Shaban-Vovk as the alleged assassin.
The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, arraigned Lucky Uchechukwu Ndukwe, a manager with Cubana Group, alongside one Precious Omonkhoa Ofure before Justice Justice O.A. Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos for an offence bordering on conspiracy to launder money.
Ndukwe, also known as Cubana Prime Minister, and Ofure were arrested recently by operatives of the Commission, following credible intelligence received about their alleged involvement in the fraudulent activity.
Items recovered from them include the sum of $164, 000. 00 (One Hundred and Sixty-four Thousand Dollars), iPhone mobile devices and laptop computers.
The charge against them reads: “That you, Precious Omonkhoa Ofure and Lucky Uchechukwu Ndukwe, sometime in 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did conspire amongst yourselves and laundered an aggregate sum of $164,000 (One Hundred and Sixty-four Thousand Dollars), which form part of $256,314 (Two Hundred and Fifty-six Thousand, Three Hundred and Fourteen United Sates Dollars) fraudulently obtained by false pretence from one Elena Bogomaz, a Canadian Citizen, and converted the fraudulent money into the United States Dollars with the help of a Bureau De ChangeOperator, which was then credited into the bank account of Casa Cubana Estate Limited and Lucky Uchechukwu Ndukwe respectively for the purchase of two and landed properties and committed an offence contrary to Section 330 of lhe Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”
During their arraignment today, Ndukwe “pleaded not guilty”, while Ofure pleaded “guilty” to the charge.
Consequently, the prosecution counsel, M.K.Bashir, reviewed the facts of the case and prayed that the defendant, Ofure, be sentenced accordingly.
Delivering judgment, Justice Fadipe found Ofure guilty and sentenced him to three years imprisonment on two counts of conspiracy and money laundering, with an option of fine in the sum of Two Million Naira (N2,000,000.00) and 100 hours of community service.
The Judge also ordered the forfeiture of all the items recovered from the convict.
Counsel to Udukwe, Chuks Arubalaeze, told the court about an application for bail on behalf of his client.
Justice Fadipe granted him bail in the sum of N5m (Five Million Naira), with two sureties in like sum.
Justice Fadipe also ordered the remand of Udukwe in the correctional facility pending the perfection of his bail conditions and adjourned the case to October 28, 2022, for commencement of trial.
At least 22 people were killed and dozens wounded in a Russian rocket strike on a Ukrainian train station on Wednesday, August 24, Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, as his nation marked the anniversary of its independence from the Soviet Union.
Zelenskiy had warned of Russian attacks on Independence Day, which is also six months since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, Europe’s most devastating conflict since World War Two.
In a video addressed to the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, Zelenskiy said the rockets hit a train in the small town of Chaplyne, some 145 km (90 miles) west of Russian-occupied Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. Four carriages were on fire, he said.
In a message posted on the messaging app Telegram, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack on Chaplyne railway station in a Ukrainian-held area as today’s “pain”.
“As of this moment, there are 22 dead, five of them burned in a car,” he said before adding one of those killed was an 11-year-old whose house had been destroyed by a Russian rocket.
He said: “Search and rescue operations at the railway station continue. We will definitely make the occupiers answer for everything they have done. And we will certainly throw out the invaders from our land.”
Ukraine had canceled the Aug. 24 celebrations in public places, but many Ukrainians marked the occasion by wearing embroidered shirts laced with the national flag colours.
Air raid sirens blared at least seven times in the capital Kyiv during the day though no attacks occured in Kyiv according to reporting from Reuters.
Zelenskiy and his wife, Olena Zelenska, joined religious leaders for a service in Kyiv’s 11th-century St. Sophia cathedral and laid flowers at a memorial to fallen soldiers.
The 44-year-old leader also promised that Ukraine would recapture Russian-occupied areas of eastern Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.
“We will not sit down at the negotiating table out of fear, with a gun pointed at our heads. For us, the most terrible iron is not missiles, aircraft and tanks, but shackles,” he said.
United States Napa County Superior Court on Tuesday sentenced the husband of the U.S. House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, to five days in jail
The Court also ordered him to pay a fine of $6,800 and make restitution after he pleaded guilty to causing injury by drunken driving, Reuters reports.
Also, 82-year-old Paul Pelosi will avoid further incarceration as the Judge, Joseph Solga, gave him four days’ credit for time already served in jail following his arrest and ordered him to perform eight hours of community service in lieu of the one remaining day, according to his attorney Amanda Bevins.
According to a press release from the county prosecutor’s office, Bevins entered the guilty plea on behalf of her client in Napa County Superior Court as Paul Pelosi chose not to appear for the proceeding in person because his presence was not required.
Paul Pelosi, who is a venture capital executive, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) after he was involved in a two-car crash in California’s wine country in May this year.
Police report stated that his Porsche collided with a Jeep when he attempted to cross a highway but no one sustained serious injury during the accident.
Judge Joseph Solga on Tuesday accepted Paul Pelosi’s guilty plea to a single misdemeanour count of DUI causing injury after reaching an agreement with prosecutors to settle the case.
Meanwhile, Judge Joseph Solga dismissed a second charge of driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08% or higher, the state’s legal limit, and causing injury. The second charge, according to the spokesman for the county district attorney’s office, is said to carry a maximum penalty of a year in jail.
But whereas Paul Pelosi escaped additional jail term, he was placed on three years’ probation and forbidden to operate a motor vehicle for a year unless it is equipped with a DUI ignition device, which prevents the driver from starting the car without first providing an instant alcohol-free breath sample.
The House Speaker’s husband was also ordered to pay $4,927 in restitution to the driver of the other car for medical bills and lost wages, plus the standard restitution fee of $150 and a $1,723 court fine.
The D.A.’s office also said that beside the penalties imposed on Paul Pelosi by the judge, the state Department of Motor Vehicles could also suspend his driver’s license for a year based on his conviction.
Nigerian governors are of the opinion that elections may not hold in several north-west states as a result of the persistent insecurity in the area .
North-west comprises seven states — Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara.
According to TheCable, the governors shared their perspective with President Muhammadu Buhari in a policy brief.
The brief was part of the political economy situation review sent to the president in July 2022.
The governors asked the president to expedite actions on various promises to address insecurity.
To stem the tide of insecurity, the governors urged the president to take urgent steps to establish military bases in Birnin Gwari, Rijana, Kachia and Mararraban Jos in Kaduna state and Kontagora and Gwada in Niger state.
