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“Made-in-Nigeria COVID-19 vaccine” up for trial November, 2022

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.”

[Punch]

Naira drops to N698/$1 at black market

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 troops kills 57 terrorists and their top commanders in 14 days

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.

Karim Benzema, Real Mdrid star, wins UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award

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.

Karim Benzema

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.’

Russian Army confirms carrying out Independence Day missile strikes on Ukraine

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.

Independence Day

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.

“Nigeria has 137 unguarded borders” – CDS Lucky Irabor

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 build and occupied several luxury mansions to avoid assassination (Photos)

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. 

Kim Jong Un

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. 

Kim Jong Un

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.’

Kim Jong Un

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. 

Kim Jong Un

‘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. 

Kim Jong Un

‘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

‘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. 

Kim Jong Un

‘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. 

Over 90 Zamfara students on scholarship kicked out of Cyprus over non-payment of tuition fees

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

Peter Obi departs Nigeria for US, meets Nigerians in Germany, Italy, Canada

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.

‘Peter Obi and Kwankwaso Alliance May Be Reignited’ – Buba Galadima

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.”

[Naija News]

ASUU identifies 2 conditions that’ll end strike quickly

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.

Dad accused of forcing his daughter to eat his poop

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.

Father accused of forcing his child to eat his poop

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.

Father accused of forcing his child to eat his poop

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.

Italian man tested positive for Covid-19, HIV and MonkeyPox all at once!

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.’  

“Our Peter Obi is fighting for the oppressed, Supports Restructuring” – Ayo Adebanjo

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.”

[THECABLE]

Sylvester Stallone’s wife files for divorce over a new dog

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.

Sylvester Stallone's wife files for divorce over a new 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's wife files for divorce over a new dog

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.” 

Sylvester Stallone's wife files for divorce over a new dog

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. 

2023 Elections: Why Peter Obi, others dumped PDP

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”.

[VANGUARD]

One of Putin’s men is killed in car bomb blast in occupied Ukraine region (photos)

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.

Ivan Sushko

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.

Ivan Sushko

The FSB secret service in Moscow immediately pinned the killing on Ukraine, pointing to Shaban-Vovk as the alleged assassin.

Cubana’s Manager arraigned for $164,000 money laundering in Lagos – EFCC

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. 

EFCC arraigns Cubana manager, one other for alleged $164,000 money laundering in Lagos
EFCC arraigns Cubana manager, one other for alleged $164,000 money laundering in Lagos

Russia bombards Ukrainain train station, 22 dead and over 50 injured, as Ukraine celebrates Independence Day

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.

Nancy Pelosi’s Husband Jailed, Fined $6800 For Drunken Driving

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.

Insecurity: Elections may not hold in several north-west states over insecurity, governors tell Buhari

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.

Ander Herrera’s contract at PSG terminated

Former Manchester United midfielder, Ander Herrera,  has had his contract with Paris Saint-Germain terminated two years early.

The 33-year-old played a bit-part role for the Parisians last season and PSG told him earlier in the summer he was free to find a new club after three seasons with them.

According to Marca, Herrera will return to Bilbao, the club he spent three years with between 2011 and 2014, prior to his £28.85million transfer to United.

Herrera will arrive as a free agent and sign until 2024, while retaining the option of a third year.

The midfielder will be released after negotiations over the compensation he will receive for forfeiting the final two years of his PSG deal. He has reportedly waived 40 percent of this money so that Bilbao did not have to pay a transfer fee to secure him and he will not be their highest earner.

Herrera joined Bilbao for the first time from Real Zaragoza and played 128 times for them over three seasons, scoring 11 goals.

In his five seasons with United, Herrera made 189 appearances and helped them win the FA Cup in 2016, plus the EFL Cup and the UEFA Europa League in 2017.

Zelensky delivers ’emotional Ukraine’s independence day speech’ (video)

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the country was “reborn” on the day Russia invaded as he paid tribute to Ukrainians assisting the war effort in an emotional Independence Day video address.

August 24 is the day celebrated as Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union and it also marks exactly six months since Russia invaded Ukraine .

Speaking in an emotional video on Wednesday, Zelensky reminisced back to Feb. 24, when he said Ukrainians had to “prove our words with deeds.”

“On this day, the second all-Ukrainian referendum actually took place. Again — the main question. Again — a decisive choice. But this time it was necessary to say “yes” to independence not in the ballot, but in the soul and conscience,” he said.


“A new nation that emerged on Feb. 24 at 4 a.m. Not born, but reborn. A nation that didn’t cry, didn’t scream, didn’t get scared. Didn’t run away. Didn’t give up. Didn’t forget.”

Zelensky paid tribute to Ukrainians celebrating Independence Day, listing the various ways they have mobilized to assist their country from fighting on the front lines to raising funds for the war effort.


He spoke to the lengthy nature of the war, remarking that Ukraine has been “holding on for six months.” 


“Every new day is a new reason not to give up. Because, having gone through so much, we have no right not to reach the end,” he said.

“What is the end of the war for us? We used to say: peace. Now we say: victory.”

 Zelensky then ended his address by vowing to restore Ukrainian rule in Crimea — which was annexed by Russia in 2014 — and the Russian-occupied Donbas region “whatever the path may be” 

Goodnews! Italian Govt. offering €15,000 to those willing to move to the beautiful island of Sardinia

The government of Sardinia is offering grants of up to €15,000 (£12,700) as an incentive for those considering a move to the idyllic Italian island.

Officials have prepared £38 million for the initiative which aims to help entice people to rural areas of Italy and bolster commerce in small towns as the region is suffering from a dwindling population and shrinking economy because younger generations are travelling to large cities for work.  

Sardinian President Christian Solinas said in a statement: ‘Thanks to these contributions to [homebuyers’] first houses, [Sardinia] becomes fertile ground for those who will move there or decide to build a family.

‘There can be no growth without a real enhancement of the territories, of the interior and most disadvantaged areas, which must pass through new policies for their repopulation.

‘We have created the conditions for young people to decide to stay and develop the economic fabric of the most fragile territories.’

The attractive grants come as part of a nationwide scheme designed to encourage people to buy ageing houses, renovate them and start new businesses to rejuvenate small communities in the Italian countryside.

Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean and has over 1,000 miles of sandy beaches, picturesque port towns and bronze-age ruins built as far back as 1,500 BC

Appeal Court upholds life sentence for Nigerians and others jailed for drug smuggling in Cambodia

The Phnom Penh Appeal Court has upheld the life sentence given by the municipal court to two Nigerian men, a Filipina and Cambodian woman, in connection with smuggling of more than 2.5 kilogrammes of cocaine from Brazil to Cambodia in 2014.

Presiding Judge Ky Rithy said, “After having a clear consideration in this case, the Judges’ Council of the Phnom Penh Appeal Court has found that the sentences given by the Phnom Penh Appeal Court is appropriate and fit for their offence.” 

The four convicts have the rights to appeal against the judgement to the Supreme Court within a month. 

Judge Ky Rithy named the four as 49-year-old former nurse from Philippines Macoy Mavill Villamor; Nigerian cloth vendors Emmanuel Thankgod, male, 41; and Michael Sunshine, male, 39; and Cambodian Meng Sinuon, 38, a former waitress working with a French-owned-restaurant living in Chamkar Mon district’s Phsar Doeum Thkov commune.

Macoy was sentenced on September 16, 2014 by the Municipal Court with a life sentence while Sunshine got 30 years, Thankgod 27 years, and Meng Sinuon got 22 years in prison. Besides, all the convicts were slapped with fine of $10,000 each.

They were charged with ‘drug transport and trafficking’ under Article 40 of the Law on Drug Control.

Macoy was arrested on February 12, 2014 at the Phnom Penh International Airport in a joint operation by the police in the anti-drug department at the Ministry of Interior, the excise and customs police officers and immigration police.

Police seized a total of 2,513 grammes of cocaine powders from Macoy and her confession led to the arrest of Nigerians who arrived to receive the drug from her.

“2023 Election Results can not be Manipulated” – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given assurances that the results of the 2023 elections can’t be manipulated.


INEC said the nature of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) gives no room for the manipulation of results during electronic transmission.

The special adviser to the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, Prof. Mohammad Kuna gave the assurance on Tuesday in Abuja during a panel discussion at a two-day workshop organised by the National Peace Committee (NPC) headed by former Head of States, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) and The Kukah Centre.

Naija News reports the workshop had as its theme, ‘The role and impact of Digital Technologies in facilitating Peaceful Elections in Nigeria’.

Speaking, Kuna submitted that “With the nature of the BVAS, the uploaded polling units (PUs) results cannot be manipulated. The machine was not designed to edit the photographic result uploaded and sent to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV); and once sent cannot be recalled.”

BVAS is an electronic device designed to read Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and authenticate voters.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, however, urged INEC to subject the BVAS and other electronic devices which will be involved in the conduct of the polls to a ‘stress test’.

[NAIJA NEWS]

HISTORY: Who Sold Nigeria to the British For £865k in 1899?

This is the story of the first oil war, which was fought in the 19th century, in the area that became Nigeria.

All through the 19th century, palm oil was highly sought-after by the British, for use as an industrial lubricant for machinery. Remember that Britain was the world’s first industrialised nation, so they needed resources such as palm oil to maintain that.

Palm oil, of course, is a tropical plant, which is native to the Niger Delta. Malaysia’s dominance came a century later. By 1870, palm oil had replaced slaves as the main export of the Niger Delta, the area which was once known as the Slave Coast. At first, most of the trade in the oil palm was uncoordinated, with natives selling to those who gave them the best deals. Native chiefs such as former slave, Jaja of Opobo became immensely wealthy because of oil palm. With this wealth came influence.

However, among the Europeans, there was competition for who would get preferential access to the lucrative oil palm trade. In 1879, George Goldie formed the United African Company (UAC), which was modelled on the former East India Company. Goldie effectively took control of the Lower Niger River. By 1884, his company had 30 trading posts along the Lower Niger. This monopoly gave the British a strong hand against the French and Germans in the 1884 Berlin Conference. The British got the area that the UAC operated in, included in their sphere of influence after the Berlin Conference.

When the Brits got the terms they wanted from other Europeans, they began to deal with the African chiefs. Within two years of 1886, Goldie had signed treaties with tribal chiefs along the Benue and Niger Rivers whilst also penetrating inland. This move inland was against the spirit of verbal agreements that had been made to restrict the organisation’s activities to coastal regions.

By 1886, the company name changed to The National Africa Company and was granted a royal charter (incorporated). The charter authorised the company to administer the Niger Delta and all lands around the banks of the Benue and Niger Rivers. Soon after, the company was again renamed. The new name was Royal Niger Company, which survives, as Unilever, till this day.

To local chiefs, the Royal Niger Company negotiators had pledged free trade in the region. Behind, they entered private contracts on their terms. Because the (deceitful) private contracts were often written in English and signed by the local chiefs, the British government enforced them. So for example, Jaja of Opobo, when he tried to export palm oil on his own, was forced into exile for “obstructing commerce”. As an aside, Jaja was “forgiven” in 1891 and allowed to return home, but he died on the way back, poisoned with a cup of tea.

Seeing what happened to Jaja, some other native rulers began to look more closely at the deals they were getting from the Royal Nigeria Company. One of such kingdoms was Nembe, whose king, Koko Mingi VIII, ascended the throne in 1889 after being a Christian schoolteacher. Koko Mingi VIII, King Koko for short, like most rulers in the yard, was faced with the Royal Nigeria Company encroachment. He also resented the monopoly enjoyed by the Royal Nigeria Company and tried to seek out favourable trading terms, with particularly the Germans in Kamerun (Cameroon).

By 1894, the Royal Nigeria Company increasingly dictated whom the natives could trade with, and denied them direct access to their former markets. In late 1894, King Koko renounced Christianity and tried to form an alliance with Bonny and Okpoma against the Royal Nigeria Company to take back the trade. This is significant because while Okpoma joined up, Bonny refused. A harbinger of the successful “divide and rule” tactic.

On 29 January 1895, King Koko led an attack on the Royal Niger Company’s headquarters, which was in Akassa in today’s Bayelsa state. The pre-dawn raid had more than a thousand men involved. King Koko’s attack succeeded in capturing the base. Losing 40 of his men, King Koko captured 60 white men as hostages, as well as a lot of goods, ammunition and a Maxim gun. Koko then attempted to negotiate a release of the hostages in exchange for being allowed to chose his trading partners. The British refused to negotiate with Koko, and he had forty of the hostages killed. A British report claimed that the Nembe people ate them. On 20 February 1895, Britain’s Royal Navy, under Admiral Bedford attacked Brass and burned it to the ground. Many Nembe people died and smallpox finished off a lot of others.

By April 1895, business had returned to “normal”, normal being the conditions that the British wanted, and King Koko was on the run. Brass was fined £500 by the British, £62,494 (NGN29 million) in today’s money, and the looted weapons were returned as well as the surviving prisoners. After a British Parliamentary Commission sat, King Koko was offered terms of settlement by the British, which he rejected and disappeared. The British promptly declared him an outlaw and offered a reward of £200 (£26,000; NGN12 million today) for him. He committed suicide in exile in 1898.

About that time, another “recalcitrant King”, the Oba of Benin, was run out of town. The pacification of the Lower Niger was well and truly underway. The immediate effect of the Brass Oil War was that public opinion in Britain turned against the Royal Nigeria Company, so its charter was revoked in 1899. Following the revoking of its charter, the Royal Niger Company sold its holdings to the British government for £865,000 (£108 million today). That amount, £46,407,250 (NGN 50,386,455,032,400, at today’s exchange rate) was effectively the price Britain paid, to buy the territory which was to become known as Nigeria.

N.B: This post was originally published on Igbo History Facebook Page, May 19, 2014

Breaking! Togo becomes first country to eliminate 4 Neglected Tropical Diseases – WHO

The World Health Organisation has recognized Togo as the first country globally to eliminate four Neglected Tropical Diseases.


The WHO made this known during its Regional Committee for Africa meeting held in Lomé on Monday, August 22.


Between 2011 and 2022, Togo has successfully eliminated dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease), elephantiasis (lymphatic filariasis),  human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), and trachoma.


NTDs are a group of 20 preventable and treatable diseases, but 1.7 billion people worldwide still require NTD interventions. Many NTDs debilitate, disfigure and disable by preventing children from going to school and adults from being able to work.


In a statement by Associate Consultant, Kingsley Ochieng of the Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases, he noted that as the first country acknowledged by WHO as having won its fight against four NTDs, Togo eliminated all four diseases in just eleven years.


“Togo previously achieved transmission-free status for Guinea worm disease in 2011. In 2017, it became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to eliminate elephantiasis as a public health problem and, in 2020, became the first African country to achieve the same status with sleeping sickness.


“To eliminate these diseases, Togo adopted a two-pronged approach that focused on first, interrupting transmission and preventing occurrence of new infections; and secondly, treating or managing diseases, their associated morbidity, and their complications, to alleviate suffering,” it said.

The President of Togo, Faure Gbassingbe, said, “I thank you for your appreciation of my country’s achievements in the elimination of neglected tropical diseases. This progress has been made possible thanks to the dedication and commitment of all health actors who are working at all levels in our country to preserve this precious good that is health. Health is a priority that we have placed at the heart of our development policies. One of the ambitions of the government’s roadmap to 2025 is to guarantee health coverage and access to basic services for all.”


The WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said “The elimination of dracunculiasis, lymphatic filariasis, human African trypanosomiasis and trachoma is an outstanding achievement and a gift not only for the people of Togo today but for generations to come.”

US Govt to return $23M Abacha loot to Nigeria

Nigeria and the United States government have reached an agreement on the return of over $23 million of the Abacha loot.

The agreement signing ceremony was held in the office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami on Tuesday, August 23.

Mr. Malami signed on behalf of the Nigerian government and the U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, signed on the behalf of the U.S government.

According to Mr Malami, the fund when returned will be invested in three ongoing projects by the Federal Government, including the ongoing Abuja-Kaduna road and the 2nd Niger Bridge.

Nigeria has in the past recovered several other tranches of the Abacha loot.

In 2006, about $723 million in Abacha loot was returned to Nigeria from Switzerland.

In 2020, the US and Jersey also agreed to return over $308 million in confiscated funds to Nigeria.

Nigerian Man Tortures His Children To Death For ‘Disrespecting God’

A 25-year old Nigerian man, Elisha Tari, on Monday said he stoned his two children, aged 3 and 5 to death for refusing to pronounce “God” as he instructed them.

The incident happened at Himike village in the Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, North-east Nigeria.

After his arrest by the police, Tari, a single parent and a local village musician, narrated, “It happened last Thursday, I was preparing their meal, I enquired to know if they had any idea when their mother would forgive me and return home to us; they kept mute.

“I also asked them to repeat after me and pronounce “God”; they refused, instead they shouted “fire” and kept yelling “fire”, repeatedly.

“I got provoked, coupled with the fact that their mother had been gone for over two months; leaving me all alone with all the frustrations of raising them.

“I’ve tried several times to placate my wife to return home but was blocked by her parents.

“In that terrible mood, I must confess I didn’t even know when I reached for stones and repeatedly stoned both of them, hitting their head to death,” he said.

Asked if he was under a drug influence or something, Tari admitted, “I smoke Indian hemp, drink alcohol and inhale snuff. But I don’t do drug.”

Japanese govt urges its youths to drink more alcohol in bid to boost the country’s economy

The Japanese government has asked its sober youth to start drinking more alcohol in a bid to boost the economy.

This is because the younger generation drinks less than their parents, causing a slump in the intake from taxes on drinks.

According to Mail Online, the national tax agency is now trying to reverse the trend with a new competition called Sake Viva.

The contest asks people aged 20 to 39 to share their business ideas to help boost the consumption of alcohol among their age group. Contestants will come up with branding, promotions and even artificial intelligence plans to help increase sales. 

The competition organisers said the Covid pandemic affected drinking habits among the youth, the BBC reported. This combined with an ageing population, with a third over the age of 65, has led to the slump in sales of alcohol. 

In 2020, people were drinking 16 gallons of alcohol a year, while in 1995, 22 gallons a year were consumed. This has led to a slump in alcohol tax, making up just 1.7 per cent of total revenue in 2020 compared to five per cent in 1980. 

NNPP Wahala: Shekarau accuses Kwankwaso of betrayal

Senator Ibrahim Shekarau has accused Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso of disappointing him and his supporters who joined the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Recall that Shekarau who is also a former Governor of Kano state, dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the height of the rift with Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. 

Speaking at a meeting with Shura Advisory Council drawn from 44 Local Government Areas of the state at the Kano Foundation Hall on Monday August 22, Shekarau accused Kwankwaso of neglecting the request submitted for inclusion of his associates as party’s candidates.

He also disclosed that he sent numerous reminders to Kwankwaso before the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). 

Shekarau stressed that he has been consulting with Kwankwaso to carry his supporters along but to no avail.

He said; 

“We consulted our brother Kwankwaso prior to even his joining NNPP when he was in PDP and I was in APC. After we agreed to join NNPP, prior to closing submission of list to INEC, we designed areas and places to field candidates for state to Federal Government. I met him alone on 5 May at about 8:30. Two of us alone, he said he’ll study it and suggest to his advisory team.

“On 15th May, I went to his house and reminded him of our submission of proposal. He said that he will come and discuss with me. On 16th May, he came to my house and we discussed. He called Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, Kawu Sumaila, Abba Kabir Yusuf, and Aminu Abdussalam, he said he gave them the work and we told him we need to inject our people.

“On the 17th May, a day after, I summoned advisory team of Shura of what happened. Some said everything should be written but I said no let’s have confidence and have faith in them.

“On the 18th May, after our decamping, we announced our reasons to the media and public that we ditched APC because of injustice. That day we saw list of purported NNPP candidates. On Thursday 19 May I boarded plane to Abuja and sought audience from Kwankwaso at his convenience.

“We’ve agreed after Isha prayer. I went to his house and told him we’ve seen list with my name only and Shehu Kura. What’s the position of our submission? He said his four man committee will be given the work. I suggested to add four from my camp to make it 8. He agreed and we planned to fix date… On 20th May, I wrote to him what we’ve discussed to avoid forgetfulness in a text message.

“June 1, I reminded Kwankwaso of the committee work he promised to talk to them. On 2 June I discussed with Prof Rufai Alkali national chairman of the NNPP and I advised him to talk to Kano chair.

“On his declaration day, I reminded him of the committee pending work. Time was going, we resolved to meet alongside his closet aides Kwankwaso, Abba, party chair, Umar Muhammad, and I. The chair gave issue but said he submitted their proposal to party chair, Doguwa.

“On July 4, the chairman brought out their proposal. We added chairman to the committee making them 9. They have written recommendation for candidates from both sides. 9 of them signed and gave me a copy and to Kwankwaso.

“15 July, I printed two copies of the report and took them to his house. I gave him like 10 minutes. He said he had no objection and I said the same. He called Abba Kabir Yusuf and told me they have accepted the report and be implemented in three days. Two weeks after Abba didn’t call for meeting until INEC closed submission of candidate in July and on August 12 substitution closed. Then he called for a meeting.

“After the deadline elapsed, we called Advisory committee and we set up a committee to advise us on the way forward. We accept the report on Thursday, will study and consult, and in a few days, we will announce our stand. I wouldn’t have opened up if not for Kwankwaso guilty conscience that he talked to the media. We want to set the record straight on the saying that we were late. So that people can be well informed. It is better to abandon politics than to live in injustice and deception. Did we take directive before joining where we are now? Shall we then seek your permission to join others?” 

Kenya’s Odinga challenges Presidential Poll result in Supreme court

Kenya’s veteran opposition leader, Raila Odinga, filed a petition to the country’s top court on Monday challenging the result of the August 9 election that handed victory to his rival, William Ruto.

In the petition, Odinga asks the court to nullify the vote’s outcome on several grounds, including a mismatch between the turnout figures and the result, and failure by the commission to tally ballots from 27 constituencies as required by law.

“The final result… was therefore not complete, accurate, verifiable or accountable and cannot be the basis for a valid and legitimate declaration,” the petition said.

Odinga, a veteran opposition leader who ran with the backing of President Uhuru Kenyatta and the ruling party, rejected the outcome of the poll, branding it a “travesty.”

He narrowly lost to Ruto by around 230,000 votes, less than two percentage points.

The 77-year-old politician filed a physical copy of the petition with barely an hour to go before the court’s 2 pm (1100 GMT) deadline for accepting the case.

An online copy was filed earlier in the day, according to a member of his legal team.

Last week the election commissioner declared Deputy President William Ruto had won the election by a slim margin, but four out of seven election commissioners dissented, saying the tallying of results had not been transparent.

In 2017, the Supreme Court overturned the election result and ordered a re-run, which Odinga boycotted, saying he had no faith in the election commission.

The case will be heard by the seven-member Supreme Court and presided over by Martha Koome, Kenya’s first female chief justice, who was appointed by Kenyatta last year.

The court will next conduct a status conference with all parties to define the hearing schedule and ground rules. The constitution requires judges to issue their decision within 14 days of the lawsuit being filed.

Due to the tight schedule, it normally issues a summary judgment within 14 days, followed by more thorough decisions from each of the seven judges at a later date.

Hilarious! Nigerians have started the #ShettimaChallenge to recreate outfit worn by Kashim Shettima recently (photos)

Nigerians have started a challenge tagged the #ShettimaChallenge to recreate the outfit worn by APC Vice Presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, to the NBA conference in Lagos.

Shettima arrived at the event to represent the APC presidential candidate,  Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday August 22.

He chose to forego his regular native wears for a suit and gym sneakers.

Nigerians have started the #ShettimaChallenge to recreate outfit worn by Kashim Shettima recently (photos)

This action made him trend on Twitter as Nigerians reacted to his outfit.

Now, Nigerians are mimicking him by doing the #ShettimaChallenge. 

See photos below.

Nigerians have started the #ShettimaChallenge to recreate outfit worn by Kashim Shettima recently (photos)
Nigerians have started the #ShettimaChallenge to recreate outfit worn by Kashim Shettima recently (photos)
Nigerians have started the #ShettimaChallenge to recreate outfit worn by Kashim Shettima recently (photos)
Nigerians have started the #ShettimaChallenge to recreate outfit worn by Kashim Shettima recently (photos)
Nigerians have started the #ShettimaChallenge to recreate outfit worn by Kashim Shettima recently (photos)
Nigerians have started the #ShettimaChallenge to recreate outfit worn by Kashim Shettima recently (photos)
Nigerians have started the #ShettimaChallenge to recreate outfit worn by Kashim Shettima recently (photos)
Nigerians have started the #ShettimaChallenge to recreate outfit worn by Kashim Shettima recently (photos)
Nigerians have started the #ShettimaChallenge to recreate outfit worn by Kashim Shettima recently (photos)

Netflix Scholarship Applications for West and Central Africa Now Open

Netflix’s global Netflix Creative Equity Fund (https://bit.ly/3CrVog8), which was launched in 2021 and will be distributed to various initiatives over the next five years with the goal of building a strong, diverse pipeline of creatives around the world, includes a US$1 million scholarship fund for students from Sub-Saharan Africa. The scholarship fund will cover tuition, housing, study materials, and living expenses at selected partner schools in Nigeria where beneficiaries have been accepted to pursue a programme of study in the television and film disciplines in the 2022 academic year. 

The Netflix CESF is set to launch across the region in the academic year beginning in 2022, and Netflix will partner with Dalberg (https://bit.ly/3CqjkAu) as an implementation partner and fund administrator in the West and Central Africa region.

The fund will be available to students who have obtained admission to study in various film & TV-focused disciplines, for the 2022 academic year

How it works:

The Netflix CESF is intended to provide financial aid in the form of full scholarships at partner higher educational institutions in Nigeria, Benin, Ghana and Gabon to help ambitious creatives from West and Central African countries obtain official qualifications and training. The following countries in West and Central Africa will be eligible: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte D’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo.

The fund will be available to students who have obtained admission to study in various film & TV-focused disciplines, for the 2022 academic year, at the following partner institutions:

Applications are now open via the LINK HERE (https://bit.ly/3cbyy1m) until the 4th of September 2022 at 23:59 PM

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Netflix.

fit
Netflix Scholarship Applications for West and Central Africa Now Open About Darlberg:
Dalberg is a strategy and policy advisory firm focused on global development. Dalberg was established in 2001 with the mission of bringing the best of private sector strategy to address global development challenges. We do so by combining rigorous analytical capabilities with deep knowledge and networks across emerging and frontier markets. We work to build a more inclusive and sustainable world where all people, everywhere, can reach their fullest potential. We partner with and serve communities, governments, and companies providing an innovative mix of services – research, analytics, advisory, investment, and design – to create impact at scale. About Netflix:
Netflix is the world’s leading streaming entertainment service, with more than 214 million paid customers in over 190 countries enjoying TV shows, documentaries, and feature films in a range of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want on any internet-connected screen, at any time and from anywhere. Members can watch without ads or commitments and can play, pause, and resume viewing at any time. [africa-newsroom]

Netflix (www.Netflix.com) has announced the extension of its  Netflix Creative Equity Scholarship Fund (CESF) to film and television students in the West and Central Africa region. Applications are now open for students to apply to study at institutions in Nigeria, Ghana, Benin and Gabon.

Netflix’s global Netflix Creative Equity Fund (https://bit.ly/3CrVog8), which was launched in 2021 and will be distributed to various initiatives over the next five years with the goal of building a strong, diverse pipeline of creatives around the world, includes a US$1 million scholarship fund for students from Sub-Saharan Africa. The scholarship fund will cover tuition, housing, study materials, and living expenses at selected partner schools in Nigeria where beneficiaries have been accepted to pursue a programme of study in the television and film disciplines in the 2022 academic year. 

The Netflix CESF is set to launch across the region in the academic year beginning in 2022, and Netflix will partner with Dalberg (https://bit.ly/3CqjkAu) as an implementation partner and fund administrator in the West and Central Africa region.

The fund will be available to students who have obtained admission to study in various film & TV-focused disciplines, for the 2022 academic year

How it works:

The Netflix CESF is intended to provide financial aid in the form of full scholarships at partner higher educational institutions in Nigeria, Benin, Ghana and Gabon to help ambitious creatives from West and Central African countries obtain official qualifications and training. The following countries in West and Central Africa will be eligible: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte D’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo.

The fund will be available to students who have obtained admission to study in various film & TV-focused disciplines, for the 2022 academic year, at the following partner institutions:

Applications are now open via the LINK HERE (https://bit.ly/3cbyy1m) until the 4th of September 2022 at 23:59 PM

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Netflix.

fit
Netflix Scholarship Applications for West and Central Africa Now Open About Darlberg:
Dalberg is a strategy and policy advisory firm focused on global development. Dalberg was established in 2001 with the mission of bringing the best of private sector strategy to address global development challenges. We do so by combining rigorous analytical capabilities with deep knowledge and networks across emerging and frontier markets. We work to build a more inclusive and sustainable world where all people, everywhere, can reach their fullest potential. We partner with and serve communities, governments, and companies providing an innovative mix of services – research, analytics, advisory, investment, and design – to create impact at scale. About Netflix:
Netflix is the world’s leading streaming entertainment service, with more than 214 million paid customers in over 190 countries enjoying TV shows, documentaries, and feature films in a range of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want on any internet-connected screen, at any time and from anywhere. Members can watch without ads or commitments and can play, pause, and resume viewing at any time. [africa-newsroom]

UK inflation may hit 18% in 2023, expert predicts

Economist at US bank Citi has predicted that British consumer price inflation is set to peak at 18 per cent – nine times the Bank of England’s target – in early 2023 in the light of the latest jump in energy prices.

UK’s consumer inflation was last above 18 per cent in 1976.

With inflation now set to peak substantially higher than the Bank of England’s 13 per cent forecast in August, its Monetary Policy Committee was likely to conclude that the risks of more persistent inflation have intensified, Benjamin Nabarro said in a note.

According to him, the question now is what policy may do to offset the impact on both inflation and the real economy.

The front-runner to become Britain’s next prime minister, Liz Truss, was likely to come up with measures to support households that would have a limited offsetting impact on headline inflation, Nabarro said.

“This means getting rates well into restrictive territory, and quickly,” Nabarro said.

“Should signs of more embedded inflation emerge, we think a Bank Rate of 6-7 per cent will be required to bring inflation dynamics under control. For now though, we continue to think evidence for such effects are limited with increases in unemployment still more likely to allow the MPC to pause around the turn of the year,” he added.

The BoE announced a rare half percentage-point interest rate increase earlier this month and investors expected another big move when the MPC makes its next scheduled monetary policy announcement on 15 September.

Nabarro said he expected Britain’s retail price index – which is used to set the return on inflation-linked bonds – would peak at over 20 per cent.

It would be recalled that the Covid-19 pandemic led to the sharpest fall in UK output in over 300 years in 2020, causing it to decline more than any other major economy, according to updated official figures.

A report by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed gross domestic product (GDP) declined by 11 per cent in 2020.

[BluePrint]

“I will donate N40M will go for Peter Obi’s campaign, Atiku is going back to Dubai” — Isaac Fayose

The younger brother of former Ekiti State governor, Isaac Fayose, has revealed that he is ready to contribute up to 40 million naira in support of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, adding that he is sure that Atiku Abubakar will return back to Dubai.

His recent statement is coming after he had earlier said that Peter Obi needs at least N50 billion naira to defeat the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Bola Tinubu in 2023.

“Out of all the candidates, Peter Obi is the most popular. If we vote today on social media, he will win. But an election is structure-based. So, Obi will need N50bn to be able to make that government a reality. N50bn, yes, Obi will win.

“Remember, Tinubu is a little bit popular too. He has what they call structure. The structure alone is worth N50bn. He has what they call goodwill. They call him ‘The City Boy’. So ‘where him money no fit reach, him structure go reach, where him structure no fit reach, him popularity go reach.

“Peter Obi, with N50bn, will manage to buy his own army to defeat Tinubu,” Fayose said last week.

However, in a new video making the rounds on social media, Fayose said he is ready to donate between 20-40 million naira in support of Peter Obi when the room for donations is made opened.

“…campaign will start soon and if we truly love obi, we have to starr thinking of how to donate when the time comes. As for me, by the grace of God, I’m sure I will contribute up to 20, 30, 40 million. And I’m sure many of us will support.

“Whether they like it or not, Obi is coming and Atiku will go back to Dubai.”

Tinubu, Best Candidate For 2023, Says Obi

The Eze Ndigbo of Surulere Local Government of Lagos State, Dr Edwin Obi, has declared that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Tinubu remains the best candidate for the presidency in 2020.

He also declared the support of the Igbo community in the senatorial district for candidates of APC in the general election.

He made the declaration during a visit to his palace by the chairman of Itire-Ikate Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Honourable Ahmed Apatira, in the company of members of Ndigbo in Lagos APC led by the council’s supervisor for health, Honourable Chidi Okoro.

Obi said: “The Igbo community in Surulere Local Government is fully in support of Senator Bola Tinubu’s presidential ambition because he is the most sellable of all the candidates aspiring for the exalted office of president.

“Every man is a politician. We are also politicians and we have been part of Lagos politics, so we’ll continue to support you any time you call on us.”
Obi commended the council boss for the appointment of members of the Ndigbo community into his cabinet and the party executive positions.

Reacting, Dr Apatira said there was no faction in APC in Itire-Ikate, restating his commitment to an all-inclusive government.

He said: “We are stronger in unity which is why we try as much as possible to absorb and have represented in our cabinet representatives of all ethnic groups in the community.

“We are one in Lagos APC; we are one in Itire-Ikate. I am totally against faction in any form; I run an all inclusive government.

“I want to appeal to the Ndigbo community to embrace peace and work assiduously for the success of our great party, the APC in 2023.

“On behalf of the good people of itire-ikate Local Council Development Area, I am happy to be here in your midst as a member of one big family.”

Some of your members were part of the previous administration at different cadres, while some are also part of the current administration, so moving forward, we need all hands on deck because their experiences can’t be washed away.

We’ll make sure that dividends of democracy get across the nooks and crannies of the communities and as I said, Nigeria is one, Surulere is just a microcosmic of what the country is like, whether you are an Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba, you are a Nigerian.

“If you are in this community, the dividends of democracy should get to everyone regardless of affiliation, tribe or race, that’s the administration I run and that’s the community I want to build, so that those coming after us can be proud of us,” he concluded.

[Tribune]

“Obidients are everywhere” – Femi Fani-Kayode cries

Femi Fani-Kayode, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress has shared a tweet about Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi’s followers who are addressed as “Obidients”. 

In a now deleted tweet he shared, he stated that Obidents are everywhere and ignoring them as Nigerians prepare for the 2023 presidential election could be dangerous. 

He also stated that Obidients are not in a political party but members of a movement which would still be here “when we are long gone”. 

Femi Fani-Kayode

Nigerian military bombs the ISWAP leader’s enclave in Sambisa

An enclave of leader of the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP), Fiya Ba Yuram in Sambisa forest has been bombed by the Nigerian Air Force with fighter jets.

Many terrorists were killed in the airstrikes carried out on some specific targets in Tunbuns and Sambisa.

NAF spokesman, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet confirmed the development in an interview with journalists in Abuja. He said “the NAF won’t, however, be drawn into the details of those neutralized.”

Gabkwet added; 

 “The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) and other security agencies have continued to synergize and pull their resources together towards ensuring that terrorists, insurgents and other criminal elements are completely eliminated for the sake of peace and security of the nation.

“In particular, Nigerian Air Force aircraft have remained a critical factor in the counterterrorism and counterinsurgency strategies and efforts currently ongoing in the various theatres of operation nationwide. Indeed as recent as yesterday, 21 August 2022, NAF aircraft under the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI carried out some strikes on terrorists enclave in Sambisa Forest and the Tumbuns in Borno State with varying degrees of success recorded.

“Acting on credible and actionable intelligence, NAF aircraft were directed to an active location in Sambisa Forest believed to be the enclave of notorious terrorist, Fiya Ba Yuram. Fiya Ba Yuram is the current ISWAP leader of Sambisa Forest who took over the leadership following the demise of Abubakar Shekau.

“Please note that the title ‘Fiya’ connotes the most senior position in the terrorist’s military leadership structure. Note also that Yuram was an ally of Shekau until his demise after which he switched allegiance to ISWAP.”

Daily Trust reported that Fiya Ba Yuram succeeded the late Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, after he was killed by a rival terror group.

After taking over the leadership of the Boko Haram sect, he switched allegiance to ISWAP.

Casemiro in tears as he leaves Real Madrid after for Man United for £70M (Video)

Manchester United new signing, Casemiro broke down in tears as he bid farewell to Real Madrid after nine years at the club during a farewell press conference on Monday morning, August 22.

Casemiro first moved to the Bernabeu in 2013, becoming a regular in the side following an impressive season on loan at Porto, and helped Real win five Champions League titles.

While Carlo Ancelotti was keen to keep the 30-year-old, , the club chose not stand in Casemiro’s way when United made their approach, given his service to the club.

The Brazilian was given a chance to say goodbye at a press conference at Real’s Valdebebas training complex, with president Florentino Perez, manager Ancelotti and many of his team-mates all in attendance.

Casemiro shared an emotional embrace with Ancelotti when he arrived and before he had even started speaking was wiping away tears with a tissue as he watched an incredible montage of his time playing for Real.

As he started to speak, Casemiro broke down in tears, barely able to get his words out, before reaching for another tissue and finally composing himself.


‘Good morning everyone. When me and my wife arrived here no one knew us. It was a new country and here we built our life and our family,’ began Casemiro.

‘I remember when I first received the Real Madrid call, I was so excited. When I left Brazil I knew I would have played at Castilla, I was very excited because I knew I would have learnt the values of this club.


‘I won a lot of titles but the biggest title is when I came here to train every day. I want to thank everyone, my mother, my wife, this club, all the players and team-mates.


‘Luka Modric and Toni Kroos… I can’t forget them! We won a lot together. I’m sure one day I’ll come back. I want to give back all the love Real Madrid gave me.


‘I am excited to develop at a big club like Manchester United. President, thank you a lot. This club will have a great future with you. Hala Madrid!’


The Brazil international will now fly to Manchester to complete his £59.5million switch to the Red Devils and is expected to be paraded in front of the Old Trafford fans before kick-off in Monday night’s massive clash with Liverpool.

Watch videos below

Dr Anthony Fauci, Covid-19 warrior, to step down from his role after 38 years

After nearly four decades, Dr. Anthony Fauci says he’ll be departing his roles as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and as chief medical officer to US President Joe Biden at the end of this year.


Fauci known as the US’ top infectious disease expert has served at NIAID for 38 years starting in former President Ronald Reagan’s administration, a role in which he helped lead the US response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, as well as West Nile virus, the anthrax attacks, pandemic influenza, various bird influenza threats, Ebola and Zika. 


He became a public figure during the United States’ response to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

“I am announcing today that I will be stepping down from the positions of Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, as well as the position of Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden. I will be leaving these positions in December of this year to pursue the next chapter of my career,” Fauci, 81 said on Monday, August  22.


Fauci said in his statement that he is “not retiring” and will “continue to advance science and public health and to inspire and mentor the next generation of scientific leaders as they help prepare the world to face future infectious disease threats.”

President Biden praised Fauci’s work in a statement.


“Because of Dr. Fauci’s many contributions to public health, lives here in the United States and around the world have been saved. As he leaves his position in the U.S. Government, I know the American people and the entire world will continue to benefit from Dr. Fauci’s expertise in whatever he does next,” Biden said.

 “Whether you’ve met him personally or not, he has touched all Americans’ lives with his work. I extend my deepest thanks for his public service. The United States of America is stronger, more resilient, and healthier because of him.”

Oleksandr Usyk declares President Vladimir Putin ‘weak man’

Oleksandr Usyk has declared Russian president Vladimir Putin ‘weak’ after his victory over Anthony Joshua on Saturday August 20. 


The Ukrainian, 35, dedicated his victory to his country as they continue to battle Russia’s invasion.


Speaking after his points victory over Joshua, he said of Putin: ‘Everything he shows is just to show that he’s strong, but he’s not. Otherwise, he wouldn’t show how strong, how big he is. In reality, he is very weak.’


Usyk, who retained his world title belts with his victory in Jeddah, implied that victory was crucial for his country and ensuring that the world remains aware of what is happening across the country.   


‘This fight was extremely important for my country, my team, and for me. I boxed for the whole country and half of the world,’ Usyk added.


‘I kept telling myself “you cannot stop, you cannot stop, you cannot stop”. Some big things were at stake. And thank God the belts are coming back to Ukraine, victory is for us and Ukraine won. 

‘Now the whole world knows Ukraine is defending itself from the second biggest army in the world. And we stand strong and we give Russia a lot back.’


‘I want to say that some people in the world are underestimating what is going on in Ukraine – please open your eyes and see what is happening. Ukrainians never give up, we always go to the end. We always win in the end, we just need a little more time,’ he went on to add. 


On Tyson Fury coming out of retirement to fight the winner of Saturday night’s bout, Usyk opened the door for a potential December return to the Middle East.  


‘I am convinced he wants to fight me. That is what he is dreaming of every day,’ Usyk said. 

‘I want to fight him. And if I’m not fighting Tyson Fury, I’m not fighting at all. I am going to beat his ass.’

ASUU gives one condition for its forfeiture of salaries

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has given the federal government a fresh condition following the government decision to enforce no-work-no-pay policy.

The lecturers have now give a fresh condition.

ASUU insisted that the Federal Government would have to pay the salary backlog to lecturers, conserving that without the move, unfinished academic sessions should be forgotten.

 “If we agree on that, therefore, the lectures we should’ve given [to students] for 2020/2021 and 2021/22 [sessions], should be allowed to go so we start a new session, 2022/23, in September, said Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU president on Friday on Channels TV.

He said though public universities have been shut since February this year, the lecturers should be paid since they have to teach to make up for time lost during the closure.

“Therefore, by July next year, I would go on my leave as we used to have in those days so that the backlog is gone. All the lectures that remain; all the two sets of admissions that JAMB has given that are waiting should become irrelevant.”

Osodeke explained that when “other unions go on strike and come back, all those periods for which you are on strike, you don’t need to do the backlog of work.

“But for ASUU, when we go back today, we’re going to start from the 2020/2021 session. For these two sets of students that have been admitted by JAMB, we’ve to teach them over these periods to ensure that we meet up with the system.

“So, we’re going to do the backlog of the work we’ve left behind. We aren’t going to start today and say ‘This session is 2022/23, therefore, all these two sets of people that have been admitted by JAMB are cancelled. We have to take another admission for the 2023/24 session’.”

[NationalDaily]

One of the ‘Paris thieves’ who stole from Kim Kardashian speaks

One of the masterminds behind the 2016 Paris hotel robbery of Kim Kardashian has blamed the reality star for the crime.

In 2016, while Kim and her family were in Paris for the Paris Fashion Week, robbers posed as cops and gained entrance into her room while her sisters were away.

The reality star was bound, gagged and held at gunpoint while a gang of masked men raided her jewellery boxes and made away with a huge haul of gems and two mobile phones.

Among the stolen items was the $4 million, 20-carat engagement ring given to Kim by Kanye West.

Now, one of the robbers, Yunis Abbas, who has spent nearly two years in prison for the sensational $10 million heist, has blamed Kim for it, saying she “should be a little less showy.”

He told VICE News: “Since she was throwing money away, I was there to collect it, and that was that. Guilty? No, I don’t care.”

One of the Paris thieves who stole from Kim Kardashian speaks

Yunis was one of 12 people to be charged over the incident and said the gang used the Internet to track down the star. He revealed how he stayed downstairs while the gang raided the star’s room.

“Madame Kardashian’s secretary called for help. But she called 911 in the United States, which scared us, which made them lose a lot of time. And when we got out, there was a bunch of police outside who didn’t know anything about the robbery,” he added.

Last year, it was claimed that alleged ringleader Aomar Ait Khedache, known as ‘Old Omar’, penned Kim an apology from his prison cell, saying he regrets his actions.

Nigerian lady arrested in India with drugs concealed in her sandals

Police in India has arrested a 27-year-old Nigerian woman who allegedly tried to smuggle drugs valued at Rs. 15,10,000, to Goa by concealing the consignment in her sandals. 

Superintendent of Police (SP), Nidhin Valsan, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, August 21, said the accused, Damilola Janet Odula, was nabbed after the police received a tip off on the consignment of drugs.


“The accused, carrying the drugs, had arrived from Delhi by Goa Express train. MDMA weighing 151 grams was recovered from her possession and seized.” Valsan said.

A case has been registered against her, he added. 

Leon Edwards defeats Kamaru Usman to claim UFC 278 title [VIDEO]

Leon Edwards is the new welterweight champion after beating Kamaru Usman via fifth-round knockout.

Edwards stunned the crowd in the first round when he became the first person to take Usman down. He utilized a trip from the clinch to put the champion on the mat and actually worked towards getting a rear-naked choke before the first bell rang.

The Nigerian Nightmare wasted no time in bouncing back in the second round. He scored early in the period with boxing combinations that put the challenger against the fence.

Edwards fired back some strikes of his own, but Usman started mixing in the wrestling and started looking like the usual juggernaut fans are used to seeing.

Leon Edwards knocked out Kamaru Usman with a freaking head kick at UFC 278.

It appeared as if Usman was going to cruise to another title defense when Edwards knocked out the champion with a stunning left high kick that immediately ended Usman’s night and title reign.

Edwards not only gets the joy of holding the belt, but he also earns a bit of revenge. These two met back in 2015 in a fight that Usman won via unanimous decision on his way to becoming a champion.

While the new champion lost that night, he hasn’t lost a fight since. The Brit has beaten everyone in his path, including Nate Diaz and Rafael dos Anjos.

As is the case when most longtime champions are finally beaten, Edwards knows he’s likely going to have to prove this was no fluke.

“He’s been a dominant champion, so naturally in sport in boxing or MMA, when you defend the belt a couple times or been dominant, you get a rematch. So, I definitely envision doing it again,” he told reporters before the fight.

While a potential fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Kamaru Usman would have been huge, a trilogy fight between Edwards and Usman is now the biggest score to settle in the 170-pound division.

See Video here:

“I’m Father Of Frustrated Nigerian Youths” – Obasanjo (Video)

Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president of Nigeria, claims to be the father of young people in his country who are dissatisfied with the state of the economy.

In a video that has gone viral on social media, the former president is seen making the claim while engaging in conversation with young people who are being led by Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa, also known as Charly Boy.

Charly Boy, posing as the leader of disgruntled Nigerian youngsters, sought Obasanjo for advice on how to alleviate the current hardships of the youths.

The artist claims that the rising unemployment is the reason why young people, like himself, are becoming increasingly upset.

Speaking, Obasanjo blamed Nigerian leaders for the economic woes, saying it is not the fault of God but those in authority.

According to him, the only way to enforce change is to establish better government through good leaders.

He expressed confidence that the youths are capable of bringing the desired change, saying “there is nobody who will do it other than the youths”.

“You are the president of frustrated Nigerian youths and I am their father.

“That we are poor and frustrated is not a fault of God but the choice of our leaders and if you are going to change that, change the situation, you have to change leadership. Pure and simple”, Obasanjo added.

See video:

Why over 200 Nigerian Soldiers left the Army – Spokesman

The Nigerian army has finally explained why 234 soldiers recently withdrew from the military. 

Army spokesperson, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu said in a statement that the voluntary retirement is a routine exercise in the army.

Nwachukwu stressed that it is within the rights of soldiers to withdraw from service when they deem it fit and if such request meet certain conditions.

It read; 

“The allegation that soldiers of the Nigerian Army(NA)are proceeding on voluntary retirement due to alleged corruption, poor service conditions and low morale as recently reported by some media outfits in the social media is nothing but a concoction of the imagination of the unrepentant enemies of the nation and mischief makers and should be outrightly discountenanced by the public.

“The subjective and unethical report is a distraction and another failed attempt at dampening the morale and fighting will of the loyal, dedicated and patriotic fighting force of the NA.

“Perhaps these impenitent mischief makers need to be schooled to understand that the NA is not a conscript Army and that recruitment into the NA is voluntary with extant policy on discharge and retirement of soldiers and officers respectively, like other organizations. This provides its personnel the opportunity to apply for voluntary discharge, when they deem fit and meet the terms and conditions as stipulated in the Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service soldiers/ratings/airmen (Revised) 2017.

“It is thus, the inalienable right of a personnel to voluntarily or on medical grounds apply for discharge, if they meet the terms. It is therefore not an aberration that the COAS granted approval for 91 NA/32/4792 WO NDAGANA ISHIAKU and 242 others to voluntarily discharge from the NA, as being unprofessionally manipulated by some media.

“It must also be mentioned, that the quantum of equipment that have been injected into the theatres and prompt payment of operational allowances, have all turned the tide against the insurgents. Also worthy of note is the welfare flight for troops, which has significantly reduced the burden of troops travelling in and out of the theatres, in addition to huge commitment on the medical needs of wounded-in-action soldiers and the barracks communities. Equally important, is the fact that troops are now being regularly and consciously rotated from the frontline, hence, issues of overstay and battle fatigue are gradually being overcome. Suffice to say, that some of these recently discharged soldiers are beneficiaries of these giant strides.

“The COAS, once again congratulates the discharging personnel for their gallantry, patriotism, loyalty and courage while in service and wishes them the very best as they successfully exit active service from the NA. He also reiterates his avowed determination to continue to have direct impact on the welfare and wellbeing of both serving and retired personnel. He is also assuring the retirees that soon, their various commanders would organise a farewell luncheon in their honour, as it is the practice in the NA since Gen Yahaya took over command.”

Ukraine disgraces Russia as it parades hundreds of destroyed Russian tanks (photos|Video)

Ukraine paraded destroyed Russian tanks and armour along the streets of Kyiv on Saturday August 20, to mock Russia’s invasion as it prepares for Independence Day celebrations.

Before Saturday, the vehicles most of which were destroyed in the first weeks of the war, were set up outside the iconic St Michael’s Monastery as a reminder of Russia’s aggression.


However, on Saturday morning, they were moved by cranes and lorries to Khreshchatyk Street, in preparation for Ukraine’s independence day on 24 August.

Ukraine disgraces Russia as it parades hundreds of destroyed Russian tanks (photos/Video)

Last year the road was the site of a large patriotic rally and military parade as a show of strength.

Russia initially planned to use the street to celebrate if it had captured Kyiv during the early stages of the war.

Ukraine disgraces Russia as it parades hundreds of destroyed Russian tanks (photos/Video)

The Ukranian ministry of defence posted videos of Ukranians touring and taking pictures alongside the destroyed tanks and armoury.


Watch video below…

One of Tinubu’s Fake Bishop Almost Lynched In Abuja (Video)

One of the bishops who attended the unveiling of the vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Kashim Shettima was almost lynched in the Federal Capital Territory on Saturday.

The Bishop was one of the ‘clerics’ who attended the event which stirred reaction in Nigeria.

There had been claims that some persons were paid to dress like Bishop to show that the same faith ticket of the APC is widely accepted.

There has been controversy over the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the ruling party ahead of the 2023 general election.

Naija News learnt that the Bishop whose name was not revealed was almost lynched by people in Dei Dei International Building Materials Market Abuja.

The traders at the market had identified him as one of the bishops at the official unveiling of Shettima as the running mate to the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu.

Operatives of the Nigerian police force had to come to his rescue before people in the market would lynch the Bishop.

Watch the video below:

Singapore to decriminalise gay sex after years of ban

A woman holds a rainbow flag at the Pink Dot event, Singapore's annual gay pride rally, at a park in Singapore July 1, 2017. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside

The Singaporean government will decriminalise sex between men, the prime minister announced on Sunday, August 21, effectively making it legal to be homosexual in the city-state.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the government would repeal Section 377A of the penal code, a colonial-era law that criminalises sex between men, adding that society was becoming more accepting of gay people.

“I believe this is the right thing to do, and something that most Singaporeans will now accept,” he said in his annual National Day rally speech.

However, Lee said the government had no intention of changing the city-state’s legal definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

“Even as we repeal Section 377A, we will uphold and safeguard the institution of marriage (…). Under the law, only marriages between one man and one woman are recognised in Singapore,” Lee added.

Singapore retained the colonial-era ban on gay sex after it won independence from Britain in 1965.

Singapore is the latest place in Asia to move on LGBT rights, after India, Taiwan and Thailand.

Usyk beats Anthony Joshua for the Second time to retain heavyweight titles

Oleksandr Usyk has once again defeated Anthony Joshua by a split decision to retain his heavyweight titles.

The Ukrainian boxer won the bout after two of the three judges scored him higher — 115-113 and 116-112 — than Joshua.

The Nigerian-born British boxer was bested by Usyk in front of thousands of fans at King Abdullah Sports City Arena in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday night.

Joshua entered the fight hoping to reclaim the WBA, IBF, and WBO titles which he lost to the Ukrainian in September 2021.

Both boxers began the bout with renewed vigour. The pair also delivered blurs of jabs and hooks in the first rounds.

An improved performance from Joshua pushed Usyk to show a clinical side of his skill set.

They both went at each other over the course of the epic 12-round battle before the judges announced the winner.

Following the announcement, Joshua threw two of the title belts over the side of the ropes before storming out of the ring.

He later went back to the ring, collected the microphone, and poured out his annoyance in front of the audience at the King Abdullah Sports City.

“If you knew my story, you would understand the passion,” he said.

“I ain’t no amateur boxer from five-years-old that was an elite prospect from youth. I was going to jail, I got bail and I started training my a*** off, I wanted to be able to fight.”

Usyk beats Anthony Joshua for the Second time to retain heavyweight titles

This is Joshua’s third career defeat — the first was to Ruiz Jr in 2019, followed by the loss to Usyk in 2021.

Photo credit: Sky Sports Boxing

2023 Elections: IPOB rejects Peter Obi, Igbo Presidency

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has described as “laughable” a statement credited to the National Secretary, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Fulani Socio-Cultural Association, Saleh Alhassan, linking it to the OBIdient movement.

The group rejected the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, or any president of Igbo extraction, saying Nigeria was irredeemable.

It said Alhassan’s statement was an insult to the Biafra struggle and the spirits of all who had died for the restoration of Biafra.

In a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB warned that nobody should drag or link it with the politics of Obi.

It maintained that it neither knew Obi nor agreed with Obi’s political opinions, insisting that its interest remained the unconditional release of its Leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the Biafra Referendum date.

The statement reads in part: “Our attention has been drawn to the laughable and disgraceful statement credited to one Saleh Alhassan of Miyetti Allah group linking the so-called Obidient movement to IPOB.

“Miyyeti Allah are not well informed to know that IPOB does not engage in seasonal jamboree and selection process called Nigerian election.

“IPOB can not drag its hard-earned reputation to the mud of the farce called Nigerian politics. Peter Obi is involved in and playing the dirty Nigerian politics while we in IPOB play advanced internationally accepted politics targeting Biafra Referendum.”

According to the group, “the Igbo people rallying behind Peter Obi are not IPOB members” because IPOB’s goal is the disintegration of the “Nigeria enterprise irrespective of whether Peter Obi or anyone else from the Biafran geographic space is contesting in the Nigerian farce of an election.

“Nigerians should understand that not every indigenous Igbo, Ibibio, Anang, Izon, Ogoni, Urhobo, etc from Biafra extraction support the Biafra Agitation by IPOB. While some are in support others are against it. That’s the democratic nature of Biafrans which only Referendum will settle.”

IPOB, it said, is neither interested in an Igbo President nor a Nigerian President of Biafra extraction.

“IPOB is a freedom fighting movement and has nothing whatsoever to do with or in Nigerian politics. So long as we in IPOB are concerned, Nigeria is irredeemable. All we want is the unconditional release of our Leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the Biafra Referendum date,” the statement added.

[Nation]

JUST IN! Nigerian Govt revokes licenses of Silverbird, AIT, FM stations etc – See Full list of Television/Radio stations affected

The Federal Government has revoked the operating licenses of African Independent Television(AIT), Silver bird, MTV and 49 other broadcasting stations.

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) ordered the stations to shut down in the next 24 hours over indebtedness.

It said the stations are operating illegally as they are yet to renew their licenses since 2018.

The Director General of the Commission, Balarabe Illelah announced these.

lllelah however said the stations can still bail themselves out by offsetting their debts in the next 24 hours.

He, however, called on all stations who have not renewed their licences for the current duration to do so within 30 days to avoid sanctions.

Full list of Television/Radio stations affected

Silverbird TV (Silverbird Communications Co. Ltd) Network
Rhythm FM (Silverbird Communications Ltd)
AIT/Ray Power FM (DAAR Communication Ltd)
Greetings FM (Greetings Media Ltd)
Tao FM (Ovidi Communications Ltd)
Zuma FM (Zuma FM Ltd)
Crowther FM (Crowther Communications Ltd)
We FM (Kings Broadcasting Ltd)
Linksman International ltd
Bomay Broadcasting Services Ltd
MITV (Murhi International Group Ltd)
Classic FM (Pinkt Nigeria Ltd)
Classic FM (Pinkt Nigeria Ltd)
Classic TV (Pinkt Nigeria Ltd)
Beat FM (Megalectrics Ltd)
Cooper Communications Ltd
Splash FM (West Midlands Ltd)
Rock City FM (Boot Communications Ltd)
Family FM (Kalaks Investments Nig. Ltd)
Space FM (Creazioni Nig. Ltd)
Radio Jeremi (Radio Jeremi ltd)
FM Abuja
FM Lagos
FM Yenagoa
FM Port-Harcourt
FM Jos
Wave FM (South Atlantic Media Ltd)
Kogi State Broadcasting Corporation
Kwara State Broadcasting Corporation
Niger State Broadcasting Corporation
Benin
Network
FM Network
FM Okene,
FM Suleja
FM Abuja
FM Benin
Breeze FM (Bays Water ltd)
Vibes FM (Vibes Communication Ltd)
Family Love FM (Multimesh Broadcasting Co. Ltd) Port-Harcourt
Port-Harcourt
Gombe State Broadcasting Corporation
Lagos DSB
Lagos State Broadcasting Corporation
Osun State Broadcasting Corporation
Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation
Ondo State Broadcasting Corporation
Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation
Bayelsa State Broadcasting Corporation
Cross River State Broadcasting Corporation
Imo State Broadcasting Corporation
Anambra State Broadcasting Corporation
Borno State Broadcasting Corporation
Yobe State Broadcasting Corporation
Sokoto State Broadcasting Corporation
Zamfara State Broadcasting Corporation
Kebbi State Broadcasting Corporation
Jigawa State Broadcasting Corporation
Kaduna State Broadcasting Corporation
Katsina State Broadcasting Corporation

Foreign Airlines in Nigeria demand flight ticket sales in Dollar, reject Naira

An EgyptAir Airlines passenger takes off from Charles de Gaulle airport, operated by Aeroports de Paris, in Roissy, France, on Thursday, May 19, 2016. Egypt deployed naval ships to search for an EgyptAir Airbus A320 en route to Cairo from Paris that went missing overnight off the coast of the North African country with 66 people on board. Photographer: Christophe Morin/Bloomberg

Following the foreign exchange crisis currently facing Nigeria, foreign airlines like the British Airways and Turkish Airlines have said they will no longer issue tickets to passengers in naira but in Dollar.

The development is happening a few hours after Emirates Airlines announced suspension of flights to and from Nigeria beginning September 1.

Turkish Air said, “Dear Business Partner, Kindly be informed that as of today, only C and Y fare classes will be available on GDSs for sale in Nigeria, Unused tickets will be upgraded to Y and C class for voluntary reissue cases, fare and tax difference shall be collected for inbound or outbound travel.

“Multi city routes will not be combined with fares. All fare classes will be available for sale on the Turkish Airline website and mobile app.”

British Airways economy tickets to London cost $466, premium economy $1,823 and Business $3,269.

The decision is linked to the foreign exchange belonging to foreign airlines which has been blocked by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The International Air Transport Association (AITA) had estimated the amount at $450m of funds belonging to foreign airlines trapped by the CBN.

Emirates said in July that they are owed $85m of non-repatriated funds by CBN, which they had reported to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.

Four months ago, APG Interline E-Ticketing (IEG) via its travel advisory issued to its trade partners said members would commence sale of tickets in dollars.

APG IET members that use Nigerian routes are Middle East Airlines, Turkish Airlines, South Africa Airways, Egypt Air, Asky Airlines, Kenya Airways, Royal Air Maroc and Rwandair.

APG IET had said, “Dear travel partners, warm greetings from APG. This is to bring to your notice that with effect from April 19, 2022, GP would only accept issuing of tickets in US dollars and not Naira. This is mainly due to repatriation issues and the Forex situation in the country.

“This would most likely be a temporary measure till the Forex situation improves. Our sincere apologies for any inconveniences this may cause you and your business. Thank you for understanding.”

 [NationalDaily]

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