Amid scarcity of new naira notes, Tinubu Support Group embarks on currency swap (ThisDay)
A support group of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) under the aegis of Tinubu Mobilisation Squad embarked on the collection of old naira notes and giving out of new notes to members of the public.
In a viral video seen by THISDAY, the promoters said the initiative was aimed at providing succour to suffering citizens, who had found it extremely difficult to access the new naira notes.
In the last few weeks, owing to scarcity of the new notes, politicians had blamed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for not printing enough new notes, which had led to protests in some parts of the country. The apex bank, on its part, blamed politicians for mopping up the new notes for election purposes. Read more
Elections: Big boost for LP as T. Y. Danjuma, Christian elders endorse Peter Obi (Tribune)
Ahead of this weekend’s Presidential election, the National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF), headed by a former Minister of Defence, General Theophilus Danjuma, and other elder statesmen, has endorsed Mr Peter the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP).
According to the Christian Elders, the reports that some regions were allegedly preparing to unleash violence during the elections should not be taken lightly.
The NCEF also called on Nigerians to vote candidates into offices based on capacity, ability, integrity, and good health because “a sick country requires hearty leaders. Read more
Sagamu mayhem: Abiodun visits affected locations, vows to go after perpetrators (Guardian)
Following violent protests that rocked Sagamu on Monday over scarcity of the new naira notes, Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, yesterday, visited Sagamu for on-the-spot assessment of buildings and property affected by the unrest, with a vow to go after those involved in the arson and wanton destruction of public property.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the tour of the affected areas, the governor described the level of destruction of properties as shocking and never seen in the history of the town.
He said: “I am here to have an on-the-spot assessment of what happened about the protest that rocked Sagamu. I have visited the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, local council secretariat and I am here at the Akarigbo Road to see the banks. Read more
I will restore hopes to masses, build new Nigeria –Tinubu (Sun)
Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has vowed to work hard to restore hopes to the masses and make Nigeria great if elected.
He also assured no agenda in his party’s manifesto would be left untouched.
Tinubu spoke during the grand finale of the APC rally at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, yesterday. Read more
Lagos receives report on coconut value chain (Punch)
The Lagos State Government says it has received the Food and Agricultural Organisation and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation Coconut Value Chain Analysis Report aimed at formulating the investment plan required to upgrade the coconut value chain in Lagos.
While making this disclosure, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, during the presentation of the report by representatives of FAO and UNIDO, said the report simplified policies and investments around the coconut value chain.
Olusanya said more than 70 per cent of the coconut consumed in Nigeria passed through the state, thereby contributing 16 per cent to actual production. Read more
University worker dies while queuing for N5k (Nation)
A Grade Level 13 officer at the Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo, Mr Ademola Adesola, slumped and died yesterday while queuing in a bank to withdraw N5,000.
The head of the Publicity and Public Relations Unit, Mr Jeariogbe Olaniyi, confirmed the incident.
Adesola drove himself to the school in the morning.
At about 11.30 am, he went to the bank to withdraw the money. Read more
IGP deploys 2 CPs in Kano days to election (DailyTrust)
The Inspector General Police has posted two new Commissioners of Police and two Deputy Commissioners of Police to Kano for election duties.
CP. Mamman Dauda, who had been in charge of the state police command, redeployed to Plateau State while CP Muhammad Yakubu has now been deployed to Kano Police Command.
Similarly, it was gathered that CP Ita Uku-Udom has been deployed to man Kano Central Senatorial District, while two DCPs have been posted to Kano South Senatorial District and DCP Abaniwonda Olufemi to Kano North senatorial district. Read more
ASUU-FG: Court adjourns till March 28 for ruling (Vanguard)
The National Industrial Court on Tuesday adjourned the Federal government suit against the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) until March 28 for ruling.
The claimants, Federal government and the Minister of Education, had dragged ASUU before the court in August 2022 over the then strike, for interpretation and application of some Trade Dispute Act (TDA).
The matter before the president of the court, Justice Benedict Kanyip, came up on Tuesday for hearing of the defendant’s preliminary objection. Read more
Ice Spice and PinkPantheress crack the top 10, Miley Cyrus‘ ‘‘Flowers’’ holds at No. 1 for 5th week (Variety)
Rising stars Ice Spice and PinkPantheress have locked in their first top 10 single with “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2.” In its second week on the chart, the team-up between drill rap’s latest it-girl and the English hyper-pop artist surges to a new No. 4 peak from its previous No. 14 debut.
This week the song climbed by up to 54% in streams for a total sum of 31 million, according to data by Luminate. “Boy’s a Liar” first appeared on PinkPantheress’ “Take Me Home” EP last year, though the new “Pt. 2” remix sees Ice Spice adding rap verses over the two-minute bubblegum pop track.
It’s the first time in the top 10 for either artist and the first Hot 100 appearance for producer Mura Masa. The single’s accompanying video, which features PinkPantheress and Ice Spice singing along to the track in different locations across New York, was released on Feb. 3 and currently boasts over 24 million views on YouTube. The track is also surging on TikTok, where it currently soundtracks over 700,000 videos. Read more
The Beatles’ Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will reportedly appear on the Rolling Stones’ new album (Hypebeast)
The Rolling Stones and The Beatles‘ two surviving members — Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr — have reportedly joined forces on a new album, according to multiple sources via Variety. McCartney has already recorded bass parts for the project, which is spearheaded by Andrew Watt, the 2021 Grammy winner for producer of the year, per reports.
The legendary performers attended recording sessions in Los Angeles in “recent weeks,” and the album is now entering its mixing phases. It is unknown whether McCartney and Starr’s parts will be included on the same track, or if their contributions will arrive separately.
In 2021, Rolling Stones lead vocalist Mick Jagger stated that the band had “a lot of tracks done” for the project. Last month, guitarist Keith Richards excited fans with an Instagram post confirming that “there’s some new music on its way.” Read more
Ghostbusters actor Ernie Hudson recalls being selectively pushed aside by the studio (Deadline)
Ernie Hudson is recalling his time on Ghostbusters and how difficult it was for him. The actor played Winston in the Ivan Reitman-directed movie.
In an appearance on The Howard Stern Wrap Up Show, Hudson said that Reitman “was really, really a brilliant man and I have just so much love and appreciation for him.” However, Hudson didn’t have the same kind words for the studio behind the hit movie.
“I was the guy who was brought in, and so finding my place in the middle of that — and they were all welcoming and inclusive,” Hudson said on the SiriusXM show about the cast. “The studio wasn’t, and the studio continued not to be. So it made it very, very difficult because I was a part of it but then I very selectively was pushed aside.”
Richard E Grant says he ”feels bad” Colin Farrell missed out on BAFTA prize (DailyMail)
Actor Richard E Grant said he felt ‘‘really bad’’ after Colin Farrell missed out on the BAFTA Best Actor award – but that he hoped the Oscars would ‘rectify’ his disappointment.
Speaking with Ray D’Arcy on RTÉ Radio, after his debut hosting the BAFTAs, he said he had empathised with the Irish actor as he himself had been nominated in 2019 for Can You Ever Forgive Me – and lost.
Colin had been put forward for a BAFTA for his role in The Banshees Of Inisherin, but had to watch on as the award was handed to Elvis star Austin Butler. Read more
Ukraine war will never be a victory for Russia, Biden says (AlJazeera)
United States President Joe Biden has warned Moscow that the West’s support for Kyiv in its fight against the Russian invasion “will not waver”, vowing that the conflict in Ukraine will never be a win for Russia.
Speaking in Warsaw on Tuesday after concluding a previously unannounced trip to Ukraine a day earlier, Biden hailed Ukrainian resistance to what he called Russia’s “aggression”.
“One year after the bombs began to fall and Russian tanks rolled in Ukraine, Ukraine is still independent and free,” Biden said. Read more
Malcolm X’s family plan to sue FBI, CIA, NYPD for his death (BBC)
A daughter of murdered black civil rights activist Malcolm X says she is suing the New York City Police Department and other agencies for his 1965 murder.
Ilyasah Shabazz says US officials fraudulently concealed evidence that they “conspired to and executed their plan to assassinate” her father.
She announced the planned legal action at the site where he was fatally shot in New York exactly 58 years ago.
The FBI and CIA were also named in the legal filing, a lawyer said. Read more
Flying Eagles seeking redemption against Young Pharaohs tonight (ThisDay)
Flying Eagles will be gunning to get back on track in the ongoing U20 Africa Cup of Nations as they trade tackles with host nation Egypt on Match-day 2 this evening at the Cairo International Stadium.
The Nigeria U20 men’s team lost narrowly to the Junior Teranga Lions of Senegal 0-1 in the opening game on Sunday but still stands a chance of qualifying for the quarter-final stage of the competition.
Coach Isah Ladan Bosso will likely be without midfielder Daniel Daga, who was substituted against Senegal due to injury he sustained during the encounter. The result of the scan examination expected later today will ascertain the extent of the injury. Read more
Real Madrid crush Liverpool 5-2 in Champions League rout at Anfield (France24)
Holders Real Madrid produced a stunning comeback from two goals down to earn a devastating 5-2 victory at Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday.
In a re-run of last year’s final, the first half was played at a ferocious pace, with the hosts racing into a fourth-minute lead through a superb Darwin Nunez flick – the quickest goal Liverpool have ever scored at Anfield in the Champions League.
Anfield erupted 10 minutes later when an horrendous miscontrol from Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois left Mohamed Salah with the simple task of slotting the ball home to make it 2-0. Read more
Barring job action, Canada’s women’s soccer team to play April friendly in France (CBC)
Canada is looking to squeeze in a home game before this summer’s women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. But it may take some ingenuity to make it happen.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women, who wrap up play in the SheBelieves Cup against No. 11 Japan on Wednesday in Frisco, Texas, have just two FIFA windows before opening World Cup play July 21 against Nigeria in Melbourne.
On Tuesday, Canada Soccer announced an April 11 friendly against France in LeMans. Coach Bev Priestman says the Canadian women will just play one game in April, electing to spend the rest of the window in camp. Read more
Brittney Griner re-signs with Phoenix Mercury for 2023 season (PBS)
Brittney Griner will be back in the WNBA this season, once again playing with the Phoenix Mercury.
Griner, who was a free agent, re-signed with the team Tuesday.
The 32-year-old Griner had said she would return to Phoenix in a social media post in December, after she returned home from her 10-month detainment in Russia. Griner had been arrested at an airport just outside of Moscow on drug possession charges a year ago and was brought home in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange in December. Read more
Greg Foster: Colin Jackson leads tributes to ”inspiration” (BBC)
Tributes have been paid to former world champion hurdler and Olympic medallist Greg Foster who has died aged 64.
The American won gold in the 110m hurdles at the World Athletics Championships in 1983, 1987 and 1991.
He also won the 110m hurdles silver medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Former British hurdler Colin Jackson, who competed against Foster, described him as “an inspiration” while American multiple Olympic champion Michael Johnson said he “left a great legacy”. Read more