62,000 orphans, caregivers, benefit from project (Nation)
Over 62,000 vulnerable children and their caregivers across eight local government areas in Lagos State have benefited from a five-year project by Local Partners For Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Nigeria (LOPIN Region 1). It was a project implemented by Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH) and funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Speaking yesterday in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos at the end of the project dissemination ceremony with the theme; “Finishing innovatively with impact”, Commissioner, Ministry of Youths and Social Development, Segun Dawodu, said the project was targeted at strengthening the economic capacity of identified vulnerable families, who are struggling to make ends meet, infected/affected by HIV/AIDS and on other contemporary public health issues including care and support for vulnerable children and their households. Read more
Lagos creates enforcement committee for traffic laws (Punch)
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has announced the creation of an inter-agency committee of all security and law enforcement agencies within the state to bring about lawful order.
He said the Monitoring and Enforcement Coordination Committee, to be headed by a former Commissioner for Transport in the state, Kayode Opeifa, would monitor and enforce all the new executive orders and other existing laws of the state with high sense of responsibility and the seriousness they deserve.
Speaking to newsmen after a meeting of the committee with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Odumosu said the team had the backing of the governor to move into action immediately. Read more
Community decries violence by hoodlums (Guardian)
The residents of Wuorola, Kasali and Dosummu community in Itire area of Lagos State has lamented the unending attacks by hoodlums who terrifies the area and cause them sleepless nights.
The hoodlums, according to a source who pleaded anonymity revealed that the attackers ages ranged from age 7 to 20 years.
According to a resident simply identified as Onyebuchi, the attackers are street urchins from Idi-Araba area. Read more
LASUTH signs MoU on oxygen production (Nation)
As part of efforts towards to deliver quality healthcare service to the people, the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), has signed a private-public partnership with Lordus Medical and Surgical Supply Company to ensure uninterrupted gas supply is readily available in the hospital with a view to serving the people of Lagos and its environs better.
At the signing of the MoU, the Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Prof Adetokunbo Fabamwo said that he was optimistic about the positive results expected from the gas production project.
“We have the approval of the board of LASUTH to take this giant step as it will bring succor to the patients who are at the receiving end. Late supply from reputable companies in recent times had become epileptic; the old plant has run its course for about 10 years; hence the need for this new strategy which we believe would fulfill our needs in terms of steady oxygen supply in LASUTH.” Read more
LASG orders traders, drivers to vacate Marina (Punch)
The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tunji Bello, has ordered all street traders, squatters and commercial drivers to vacate the Outer Marina area or get prosecuted.
Bello, who noted that the state government wanted to commence work on the beautification and landscaping of the outer Marina area, said as from next week, the operatives of the state Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences Unit would move to the area to enforce the state laws.
The commissioner, in a statement on Thursday, urged all commercial vehicle operators in the area to move to the designated parks and stop picking passengers along the road. Read more
UNILAG trains 30 Imams in Mosque management (Nation)
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has trained 30 imams in mosque management.
They graduated on Saturday and got Diploma in Mosque Leadership and Management (DMLM) under the department of Religious studies.
The programme, The Nation learnt, was conceived as a platform for professional training of imams and different categories of serving or intending officials of mosques. Read more
Mompha’s Lebanese associate arraigned for phishing, $7.06m fraud (Punch)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday arraigned the duo of Kayode Philip, alias Voice of the King, and Hamza Koudeih, a Lebanese, for allegedly engaging in cyber fraud and laundering the sums of $7.06m, £1m and €80,000.
Koudeih is said to be an associate of Internet celebrity, Ismaila Mustapha, alias Mompha, who was on Monday arraigned for an alleged N32.9bn fraud.
Philip and Koudeih, who were arraigned on 25 counts before the Federal High Court in Lagos, were also accused of attempting to retain the sums of $6m and £1m in the Bank of China. Read more
We’ll honour agreement, Lagos DMO tells lenders (Punch)
The Lagos State Debt Management Office has assured the state lenders and other stakeholders of government’s readiness to honour its agreement and actualise the goal of the office.
A statement on Thursday said the Permanent Secretary of the DMO, Abimbola Umar, spoke when the DMO met with the state’s bond trustees and its lending bankers.
She noted that the bankers were critical stakeholders in the management of the state’s debts, adding that there was the need to chart a way forward and improve on existing working relationships. Read more
NPA, Port of Antwerp Sign Five-year Deal to Enhance Operations (ThisDay)
In a bid to enhance the efficiency of operations in the nation’s seaports, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has signed a five-year partnership agreement with the Port of Antwerp International (PAI).
By the agreement, which is expected to last for five years at the first instance, with an option of renewal, the Port of Antwerp would play an advisory role with regards to enabling further development of Nigerian ports.
The Port of Antwerp is known as the maritime centre of Europe because of its numerous supply chain connections. Out of all ports in North-West Europe, Antwerp has the highest number of direct services to West Africa, resulting in a market share of nearly 50 per cent amounting to freight of 15 million tonnes, which Nigeria has the highest volume of six million tonnes annually. Read more
New report shows rising human trafficking in Nigeria (Guardian)
A recent report released by Plan International has revealed that over 75 per cent of human trafficking cases take place within Nigeria and involves movement of persons from rural areas to urban centres.
Acting Country Direct of Plan International, Dr. Orji Ogbureke, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at the launch of No To Trafficking Campaign and presentation of Report Research on trafficking of girls and young women in Nigeria.
The report revealed rising internal human trafficking in the last two decades from rural communities to cities like Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Kano, Kaduna, Calabar, FCT and Port Harcourt, among others for exploitative domestic work, farm labour and commercial sex exploitation. Read more
Sudan crisis: Party of ex-leader Omar al-Bashir dissolved (BBC)
A law has been passed in Sudan dissolving the party of ousted former president Omar al-Bashir.
Mr Bashir seized power in a 1989 coup and ruled for almost three decades, until he was overthrown by a protest movement in April.
The country’s transitional authorities also repealed a public order law that was used to police women’s behaviour.
Both measures responded to key demands of the protest movement, which aims to dismantle Mr Bashir’s regime. Read more
How Trump sneaked from Florida to Afghanistan for Thanksgiving (NYPost)
The White House went to great lengths to keep President Trump’s first trip to Afghanistan under wraps.
The White House went to great lengths to keep President Trump’s first trip to Afghanistan under wraps.AP
It’s no mean feat sneaking the most famous man in the world out of Florida and into a war zone some 8,000 miles away.
But the White House went to great lengths to keep President Trump’s first trip to Afghanistan under wraps, even confiscating cellphones and other transmitting devices from pool reporters.
While Trump was at Mar-a-Lago Wednesday night, a small group of Washington reporters were told to meet atop a parking garage and then driven in black vans to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. Read more
ITTF W’Cup: Aruna to face Swede, Australian (Punch)
Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna has been drawn against Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson and Heming Hu from Australia in Group C of the ITTF Men’s World Cup, which starts in Chengdu, China, today.
Aruna, who didn’t initially qualify for the World Cup, was called as a late replacement for Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting, who pulled out injured on Tuesday.
The Nigerian is the highest ranked player in the group, 20th in the world, ahead of Karlsson, ranked 25th and Hu at 66. Read more
Conor McGregor will face Donald Cerrone in UFC return (NYPost)
Former two-weight UFC champion Conor McGregor is set to return to the octagon on Jan. 18 where he will take on veteran American Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in a welterweight bout at UFC 246, promotion boss Dana White has told ESPN.
“Conor has signed and ‘Cowboy’ is ready to go,” the UFC president said, giving the green light for the return of one of MMA’s most bankable stars.
Irishman McGregor, who has 21 professional wins and four losses in MMA and a single defeat to Floyd Mayweather on his professional boxing record, has not fought since losing his lightweight title to Khabib Nurmagomedov via submission in October 2018. Read more
Former Nigeria International, Kingsley Onye, Blasts Rohr (ThisDay)
Nigeria’s Super Eagles’ manager, Gernot Rohr seems to be at the centre of the storm. Only two days ago, his employer, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), issued him a query over breach of contract agreement and for this and others reasons, former Nigerian international, Kingsley Onye has teamed up with those who believe the coach has not done enough to be retained as Super Eagles gaffer.
Onye, who is based in the United Kingdom, in a telephone interview with ThisdaySports yesterday expressed his disgust at the levels at which the Super Eagles are currently operating.
“Their performance at the last Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt was not impressive at all”, said the left footed defender who was a member of the Flying Eagles squad that placed third in the then World Youth Championship now renamed U20 World Cup. Read more
Emmanuel Amuneke: Why I want to coach Zambia (Nation)
SLIGHTLY 25 years after he hogged the headlines with match-winning brace in the 2-1 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) win for Nigeria against Zambia, former Super Eagles winger Emmanuel Amuneke is confident he can help the Chipolopolo conquer the continent if given the nod to take over the reins of the team.
The Zambian national team job has been vacant since March after the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) failed to renew the contract of Belgian coach Sven Vandenbroeck following Chipolopolo’s failure to qualify for the 2019 AFCON in Egypt.
Zambia Daily Mail reported yesterday that Amuneke is among a motley crowd of over 50 coaches that met Monday’s deadline for applicants willing to take over the vacant Chipolopolo’s managerial job. Read more
I’ll fight till I’m 50 – Joshua (Punch)
Anthony Joshua has dismissed detractors who have called for him to retire if he loses his highly anticipated rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr on December 7.
The 30-year-old has been the subject of mass speculation after suffering the first defeat of his career to the Mexican-American back in June.
Some have suggested he could or should quit the sport if he’s unable to win his belts back in the upcoming return, but the man himself has now shot down this idea. Read more
Arsenal Fans Demand Emery’s Immediate Sack After Frankfurt Defeat At Emirates (Independent)
Arsenal fans have demanded that manager Unai Emery is sacked by Emirates chiefs after the Gunners lost their Europa League match against Eintracht Frankfurt, according to Expres.co.uk reports.
Arsenal lost 2-1 at home to Eintracht Frankfurt in their penultimate Europa League group match.
The Gunners did take the lead through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but they were pegged back shortly after half-time. Read more
Griezmann Heads Back to Atletico in Crunch Tie for Barca (ThisDay)
Antoine Griezmann has had a tough start to life at Barcelona but is finally showing signs of settling in as he prepares for Sunday’s crunch clash at title rivals Atletico Madrid, his first game back at his old club since a bitter split.
The French striker was Atletico’s top scorer and talisman for five years and appeared to show his loyalty to the club when he rejected a tempting offer to join Barca in 2018 and pledged his future to the Madrid side in a televised documentary.
But a year later he joined Barca for 120 million euros ($132 million), prompting a legal complaint from Atletico after it emerged the Catalans had negotiated with Griezmann without their permission, leading to club being fined a paltry 300 euros. Read more
AFN Board Members Reject Guasau’s ‘Emergency’ Congress (ThisDay)
Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Vice-President,Honourable Olamide George has said that the Federation’s Annual General Congress (AGM) scheduled to hold on Wednesday December 4,2019 in Awka, Anambra State is illegal and remains postponed.
George insisted that the less than one month notice given for the Congress runs contrary to the letters of the AFN constitution which stipulates a 60-day notice for the convening of an AGM or Assembly.
He also reiterates that only the Secretary General of the federation is empowered to issue notice of meeting upon clearance from the board and the president and that any other notice outside that renders the meeting illegal. Read more
Organisers reel out plans for 2020 Lagos Marathon (Nation)
THE 2020 edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon is guaranteed to be a spectacular one following the assurances given by the organizers and sponsors alike at a media parley held yesterday at the Press Centre at the Lagos State secretariat, Alausa.
Bukola Olopade Managing Director of Nilayo Sports Management Limited and the consultant to the Marathon confirmed the new Silver Label status of the Race and thanked everyone that has contributed to its huge success.
Olopade also announced that the sponsors have already purchased over 50,000 forms for runners while a good number have independently paid to be part of the fifth edition of the Lagos marathon. Read more
Solskjaer Praises ‘Captain Lingard’ Despite Man Utd’s Away Defeat At Astana (Independent)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has praised Jesse Lingard for a “top-class” performance as Manchester United’s captain in a 2-1 defeat against Astana on Thursday night, according to Goal.com reports.
The Red Devils headed to Kazakhstan safe in the knowledge that their place in the Europa League knockout stages is already assured, which gave Solskjaer the chance to blood some of the younger members of his squad.
Ethan Laird, Di’Shon Bernard and Dylan Levitt were all handed senor debuts, while 36-year-old goalkeeper Lee Grant took in his first start for the Red Devils since joining the club from Stoke City in 2018. Read more