Amarachukwu Allison: Doctor who came in contact with 3 different viral infections and lived to tell the story (Punch)
During the Ebola period of 2014, Dr. Amarachukwu Allison was quarantined as a secondary contact.
In November 2019, shewas diagnosed with a viral haemorrhagic fever which she was exposed to and had to self-isolate for a week.
Her third quarantine was in February 2020 when she attended to a patient that turned out to be Nigeria’s index COVID-19 case — an Italian man who suddenly took ill after flying in from Milan, Italy, which was undergoing a virulent experience of the coronavirus then.
“I thought something beyond me was after me,” the 33-year-old physician told our correspondent. Read more
EndSARS: Lagos Assembly Committee commends Council Chairmen’s resilience (Vanguard)
Member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr AdbulSobur Olawale has commended the Executive Chairman of Ajeromi Local Government, LG, Mr. Fatai Ayoola, management and staff members for the resilience to rebuild the Secretariat that was destroyed during the aftermath of the ENDSARS protest.
Olawale, who is also the Chairman of, House Committee on Local Government and Community Relations, disclosed that the Secretariat was among those government facilities that were destroyed by hoodlums during the aftermath of the ENDSARS protest.
In the same view, the lawmaker applauded Council Chairman of Ifelodun Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Mr Shaibu Ajidagba for building the legislative chamber during his tenure in office.
Speaking with journalists, after the oversight function to both Ajeromi Local Government, LG and Ifelodun Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Olawale reiterated that the function provides an avenue to interface with the local government, understand the relationship that exists between the workers and the management of the council. Read more
Lagos carpenter flees after allegedly defiling customer’s daughter (Punch)
A carpenter on Shittu Bashiru Street, Isheri Oshun area of Lagos is on the run after he was accused of defiling an 11-year-old girl.
The suspect, simply named as Wasiu, reportedly molested the girl on Thursday, February 25, while he was fixing a kitchen cabinet at the minor parents’ house in the community.
Our correspondent learnt that the girl was preparing to have lunch after returning from school that day when Wasiu allegedly went to her room and forcefully had sex with her.
Her father, Anayo Chijioke, said his wife contracted Wasiu to fit the cabinet, adding that they were not at home when the incident happened. Read more
Sanwo-Olu pledges infrastructural support for manufacturing sector
By Gbenga Salau and Bertram Nwannekanma (Guardian)
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has renewed his promise to provide the necessary infrastructure for the success of manufacturing companies, including those on the Lekki Free Trade Zone.
The governor stated this, yesterday, at the end of his two-day tour of major facilities in Ibeju-Lekki corridor, with a promise to continue to create a more enabling environment for business to thrive, and ensure the people of Lagos East Senatorial District were not left out.
Sanwo-Olu, who was accompanied by some cabinet members, inspected the level of work at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, the Lagos Free Zone and Deep Sea Port and Dangote Refineries and Fertiliser. Read more
Cleric commends Lagos, Oyo governors over support for PLWD (Nation)
The Senior Pastor of Praise Arena-Kingdom Light Christian Centre, Dr Jummy Adetoyese-Olagunju has commended the effort of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde in the recent employment of visually impaired graduates in their states.
Adetoyese-Olagunju said this at a Special Thanksgiving Service of the church for two virtually impaired graduates – Barrister Adesola Adedokun Ajayi, and Joseph Adeniyi Omoare, beneficiaries of the scholarship by Praise Arena Church who were recently employed by the Lagos and Oyo State Governments; the thanksgiving service was held at Praise Arena Church, Swiss International,The Vistana, VGC, Lekki Lagos.
Adesola, a graduate of Law from the University of Lagos was recently employed by the Ministry of Judiciary, Lagos State and Mr Joseph Adeniyi Omoare, a graduate of Education from Oyo State College of Education was among 150 persons living with disability recently employed by the Oyo State Government. Read more
INEC suspends Ekiti by-election over violence, killings (DailyTrust)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has indefinitely suspended the Ekiti State bye-election in Ekiti after three people, including a policewoman, were killed in violent clashes.
The poll was to fill the vacancy for the Ekiti East 1 State Constituency in the state.
However, the commission on Saturday in a statement by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Festus Okoye, said that it received a report from the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ekiti State that the bye-election has been disrupted by violent attacks on voters, election officials and security personnel.
According to Okoye, the commission made adequate arrangements for the election, with personnel and materials arrived on time in all the 39 Polling Units spread across five wards of the constituency for the 23,670 registered voters to exercise their franchise in a free and fair process. Read more
Experts seek end to medical negligence (Guardian)
Medical and legal experts have called for an end to negligence in the country’s health system to curb the rising mortality, occasioned by healthcare professionals and improper administration of care in hospitals.
They made the call during a medico-legal seminar organised by Mahuemolen Aduke Odibo Foundation (MAOF) themed: “The right of a patient to a second medical opinion and the role of communication in rising healthcare quality.”
In her address, the Vice Chairman, Board of Trustees, MAOF, Omobola Fashola, said many promising lives have been cut short, due to medical negligence occasioned by lack of medical oxygen, suction machine and improper administration of professional care, among others.
“The healthcare system has to go through the process of transformation and reinvention, so that hospitals are more accountable. Read more
Ex-SARS operatives killed for fun, traded corpses in morgues- Report (Punch)
A coalition of civil society groups, Action Group on Free Civic Space, has disclosed that the operatives of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad allegedly killed at will and dumped corpses in morgues in exchange for cash.
AGFCS in its 2021 report tagged, ‘#EndSARS: Police brutality, protests and shrinking civic space in Nigeria’ accused the ex-SARS officials of gross violation of people’s liberties by holding suspects incommunicado and denying them access to their family members and lawyers.
The report, launched in Lagos on Friday, also alleged that the disbanded anti-robbery police unit was wont to incriminate innocent persons, keep them in crowded cells while routinely meting out different forms of torture to them. Read more
Expert warns against hearing loss due to earpiece, others (Guardian)
The Chief Executive Officer of International Hearing Centre Nigeria (IHC), Dr. Irene Okeke-Igbokwe has warned that wrong use of earpiece from cell phones, exposure to loud noise, and medication, could cause hearing loss.
Okeke-Igbokwe, who is a former Director, Nigerian Army Audiological Centre, gave the warning while addressing participants at a free hearing screening and health counselling at the IHC’s centres across Nigeria, as part of activities to mark this year’s World Hearing Day.
She said although there were no widely acceptable studies or data on the number of people with hearing loss in Nigeria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates “that 1.5b people live with some degree of hearing loss globally, out of which around over five percent of the world’s population or 430m people require rehabilitation to address their ‘disabling’ hearing loss (432 million adults and 34 million children). Read more
Uganda: Lions found dead in Queen Elizabeth National Park (BBC)
Six lions have been found dead and dismembered after a suspected poisoning in one of Uganda’s most famous parks.
The lions were found in Queen Elizabeth National Park with their heads and paws hacked off, and their bodies surrounded by dead vultures, officials said.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) said it “cannot rule out illegal wildlife trafficking”.
An investigation has now been launched, with conservationists working with local police at the scene. Read more
How a TV event pays respect to the ‘Genius’ of Aretha Franklin (NYPost)
Before the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, died in 2018, she had already anointed who should immortalise her on screen: Jennifer Hudson, who will star in the biopic “Respect,” due in August.
But it’s Tony-winning actress Cynthia Erivo (“The Color Purple”) who first brings Franklin back to life in “Genius: Aretha,” the third installment in the National Geographic anthology series following previous seasons on Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso. The eight-episode series, which premiered Sunday, will air through Wednesday. (There are two episodes per night, at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., which are available on Hulu the next day.) Read more
Elon Musk denies Tesla cars are used for spying in China (BBC)
Elon Musk, the chief executive of the US electric carmaker Tesla, says his firm would be “shut down” if its vehicles were used for spying on China.
His comments came in response to reports that China’s military had banned Tesla cars from its facilities.
The military had raised security concerns about the data collected by cameras installed in the cars.
China is Tesla’s largest market after the US, accounting for about a quarter of the firm’s global sales in 2020. Read more
Scientist behind BioNTech’s COVID jab working on cancer vaccine (NYPost)
The German company behind the first-ever approved COVID-19 vaccine is developing a jab to help fight cancer — which may be available in as soon as two years.
BioNTech was already working on a cancer-focused jab when COVID-19 infection began spreading across the world.
The coronavirus vaccine developed by the company and Pfizer was approved in Britain within the first 11 months of the pandemic — boosting funds needed for BioNTech to continue pursuing the cancer vaccine. Read more
Mourners line Tanzania streets at ex-President Magufuli funeral (BBC)
Mourners have lined the streets of Tanzania’s capital Dar es Salaam to pay their last respects to ex-President John Magufuli who died last week.
His successor Samia Suluhu Hassan led the procession, with the coffin draped in the national flag taken to the Uhuru Stadium to lie in state
Opposition politicians say that Magufuli, 61, had contracted Covid-19, but this has not been confirmed.
He was a Covid sceptic who at times denied the virus affected Tanzania. Read more
Justin Bieber supported by Martin Luther King’s family amid backlash (Metro)
Justin Bieber has faced backlash for his decision to use clips of Martin Luther King speeches on his new album, Justice. However, the civil rights icon’s family has publicly shown their support for the pop star amid the furor. The Baby hitmaker sampled MLK on two tracks – 2 Much and Die For You – which feature on the pop album mostly filled with love songs. Listeners immediately took to Twitter to share their issues with the choice as one wrote: ‘Justin Bieber has an MLK Interlude on his album. Read more
GoFundMe for Atlanta spa shooting victim Hyun Jung Grant raises $2.5 million (NYPost)
A fundraiser for the son of one of the Atlanta spa shooting victims had raised $2.5 million as of Saturday night — doubling the amount brought in just a day earlier.
Randy Park, 23, established the GoFundMe page in memory of his mother, Hyun Jung Grant, who he said “dedicated her whole life to providing for my brother and I.”
“It is only my brother and I in the United States. The rest of my family is in South Korea and are unable to come,” Park wrote in a heartbreaking tribute to his mom on the fundraising website.
“Frankly, I have no time to grieve for long. I will need to figure out the living situation for my brother and I for the next few months, possibly year . . . Any donation will be used as funds for basic living necessities for my brother and I such as food, bills, and other expenses.” Read more
Lawrence Okolie knocks out Krzysztof Glowacki to land WBO world cruiserweight title (BBC)
Great Britain’s Lawrence Okolie delivered a punch-perfect display before landing a sixth-round knockout of Krzysztof Glowacki to become WBO world cruiserweight champion.
In just his 16th professional fight, Okolie used his height and reach to never allow Poland’s Glowacki close.
He started unloading his right hand in the fourth and looked completely at ease against a former world champion.
A pinpoint right ended matters, giving Okolie, 28, his first world title.
“I think I might cry in my hotel room, but not in front of anyone. It’s a blessed feeling. It’s crazy,” Okolie told BBC Radio 5 Live. Read more
Ex-UCLA coach Jorge Salcedo sentenced for taking kickbacks in college admissions scandal (NYPost)
Former UCLA men’s soccer coach Jorge Salcedo was sentenced to eight months in jail for taking $200,000 in bribes as part of the college admissions bribery scheme.
Former UCLA soccer coach Jorge Salcedo was sentenced to eight months in jail for taking $200,000 in bribes as part of the college admissions bribery scheme.
AP Photo/Gerry Broome
A former UCLA men’s soccer coach was sentenced to eight months behind bars for his role in the sweeping college admissions bribery scheme that brought down dozens of school officials and well-heeled parents.
Jorge Salcedo admitted to pocketing $200,000 in bribes to help get students get accepted into the university under the guise of being athletic recruits.
In court, Salcedo told the judge he took the kickbacks because he wanted to buy a nicer house.
He avoided a sentence of up to 20 years in prison by pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery in January. Read more
‘Best in the world’ Man City beat Everton to reach FA Cup semi-finals (BBC)
Late goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne broke Everton’s resistance as Manchester City kept their quest for the quadruple on course by reaching the FA Cup semi-finals for a third successive season.
A fiercely contested quarter-final looked like it was heading for extra time as Carlo Ancelotti’s side defended resolutely and went close in the first half when Yerry Mina’s header was cleared off the line.
Despite dominating possession at Goodison Park, City struggled in front of goal for most of the game, with Raheem Sterling’s poorly hit shot tipped round the post by Everton’s third-choice keeper Joao Virginia. Read more
Poor shooting dooms UConn in March Madness loss to Maryland (NYPost)
Eric Ayala scored 23 points and Maryland clamped down on defense down the stretch to snag a 63-54 victory over No. 7 UConn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.
The 10th-seeded Terrapins held UConn to 32 percent shooting to overcome the Huskies’ strong physical game. Maryland was outrebounded 40-29 but its defense carried the Terps to a second round matchup against No. 2 Alabama.
Maryland (17-13) shot 51 percent for the game and converted 9 of 18 from behind the arc. The Terps built a 14-point cushion that UConn cut to 53-48 with 2:53 remaining. Ayala and Darryl Morsell each made a pair of three throws to push the lead back to nine. Read more
France denies Wales Six Nations Grand Slam with dramatic last minute victory (France24)
France denied Wales a second Six Nations Grand Slam in three years when Brice Dulin scored a stoppage-time try to give them a 32-30 home victory on Saturday.
Dulin dived over as France completed a remarkable turnaround to give Les Bleus the win and a bonus point that leaves them needing to beat Scotland on Friday with a bonus point and make up a 20-point deficit to top the standings.
Wales had the game firmly in hand but picked up two yellow cards in the finale and were left them exposed to France’s late fury. Read more
Harry Kane breaks silence after Arsenal and Dinamo Zagreb defeats (Metro) Harry Kane admits ‘no words can atone’ for the way in which his Tottenham side surrendered against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday night, particularly in the wake of a north London derby defeat. Spurs’ season is on the brink of imploding following a disastrous week which has culminated in reports of Daniel Levy being prepared to sack Jose Mourinho unless he can secure Champions League qualification. Tottenham appeared to be back on track after a run of five successive victories, but their hopes of a top four finish were dealt a blow following a limp display at Arsenal last weekend, while their capitulation in Zagreb saw their European adventure ended in astonishing circumstances. Leading 2-0 from the first leg, Spurs were outfought and largely outclassed by Dinamo, who secured their aggregate victory thanks to a stunning hat-trick from Mislav Orsic. Read more