APC Governor: I love what Peter Obi is doing, God can make him president (DailyTrust)
Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has said Peter Obi, Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate for the 2023 election, is widely accepted.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governor said although his support is for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, his party’s candidate, “only God knows who will win”.
He said this while fielding questions from State House reporters after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Umahi said the meeting was to invite Buhari for the commissioning of about N1.2 billion Governor’s Lodge at Asokoro, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The governor, who lost the APC presidential ticket in June, said South East would have been forgotten if Obi had decided not to participate in the current electioneering process. Read more
Building collapse: 84 Lagosians killed in 2 years (Punch)
No fewer than 84 persons have lost their lives in 18 building collapses in Lagos State in the last two years, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.
The latest of such incident happened at Oba Idowu Oniru Street on Victoria Island on Sunday, September 4 when a seven-storey building under construction caved in, killing two persons in the process.
Our correspondent gathered that three cases were recorded in 2020, six in 2021, while nine cases occurred in 2022.
On September 10, 2020, a storey building partially collapsed at No 26, Afolabi Alasia Street, Gaskiya Road, Ijora-Badia, Lagos State, as a result of lack of maintenance.
Although no life was lost, it was reported that at the time of the visit by Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and other relevant authorities, the backside of the building was showing visible cracks and signs of dilapidation. Read more
Family: Why military items were found in Mamu’s house (DailyTrust)
The family of embattled bandits negotiator who was arrested by the Department of Security Services (DSS) on Friday said the military accoutrements security agents found in the Desert Herald publisher’s home belongs to his nephew who is an officer of the Nigerian Navy.
Daily Trust reports that in response to a raid carried out on Mamu’s Kaduna home and office, the DSS had revealed that it recovered military accoutrements, different currencies and denominations and other “incriminating materials.”
The spokesperson of the DSS, Peter Afunanya had said Mamu, who is in their custody together with his eldest son, Faisal, and his brother in-law, Ibrahim Tinja, would be charged to court.
However, reacting to the allegations in a statement which the management of Desert Herald, the Kaduna based newspaper owned by Mamu, the family said “the cooked up and phantom allegations the Department of Security Services (DSS) concocted in its desperation to give the publisher a bad name in order to rope him.” Read more
Speeding drivers kill baby, pregnant woman, minor (Punch)
Tragedy struck on Friday when a pregnant woman and a minor were crushed to death by a truck along the Abeokuta-Ibadan expressway in Ogun State. Also in Ondo, a speeding motorist killed a baby and injured others it rammed into a shop at Ore in the Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.
Our correspondent gathered that the truck laden with cement, lost control and rammed into a building, killing two and injuring four other occupants of the building. The accident involved a DAF truck with registration number, BDJ 112 XF.
Spokesperson for the state Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the accident to journalists in Abeokuta.
Akinbiyi disclosed that the truck was travelling to Ibadan from Ewekoro when the driver lost control and rammed into the building.
Akinbiyi attributed the cause of the accident to speeding which made the driver lose of control and rammed into the building. Read more
Military rescue 3 more Chibok girls (DailyTrust)
The Joint Military Taskforce in the Northeast, Operation Hadinkai, has rescued three additional Chibok girls alongside their children in Borno State.
General Commanding Officer (GOC), 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Wahid Shaibu, disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the command’s headquarters in Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri on Friday.
He said sustained military operations throughout the theatre had paved the way for most of the surrendered Boko Haram terrorists and provided an opportunity for some of the Chibok girls to escape.
Shaibu said, “Today we are having three of the girls: Falmata Lawal who was rescued on 30th August 2022 by troops of 21 Special Armour Brigade in Bama. Falmata has a child and she was one of the abducted students of Government Secondary School Chibok. She is number 3 on the list of abducted Chibok girls.
“On the 1st September 2022, Asabe Ali with her one-year-old child was also rescued by troops of 21 Special Armour Brigade in Bama. Read more
Grand Oak honours distributors, consolidates sales strategies (Guardian)
Leading marketer and exporter of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, Grand Oak Limited, recently treated key stakeholders and distributors to a full day of fun, capacity development and team bonding, at its annual distributors conference, held at the Lagos Marriott Hotel, Ikeja.
The yearly conference, which brought together distributors from across different regions in the country, was part of activities to appreciate distributors for their cooperation and contribution to the successes witnessed in the previous financial year, as well as engage on new sales objectives and activities planned for the year, while reiterating its commitment to delivering products of the highest quality.
In his welcome address, the Group Executive Director, Adekunle Rosiji, recognised the support of the GOL distributors, as well as the sales and marketing team of the company.
“Our distributors have been instrumental to our success as a company. This event is always an opportunity to celebrate loyalty, tenacity, and resilience. Most importantly, it allows us to share knowledge about the market and navigate its challenges, as we reveal plans for the realisation of our collective objectives. Upon the conclusion of this conference, I am confident that our team and partners would work progressively to deliver a successful financial year.”
Unveiling the theme of the 2022 conference tagged, Be the Grand Oak, the Executive Director, Operations and Finance, Mr. Wale Majolagbe called on distributors to embody the attributes of the brand in their respective businesses, which will guarantee business longevity and continuity. Read more
Insecurity: The worst isn’t over, expert tackles Lai Mohammed (Independent)
A security expert, Adejare Adegbenro has faulted a claim made by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed that “the worst is over” concerning the security situation in the country.
The Minister, while briefing the newsmen on the security situation in the country on Monday, had said that, “The worst is over.”
Adegbenro who questioned the statement, while featuring on OGTV breakfast programme, New Dawn on Thursday, submitted that this is not the right time to make bogus statements but rather call on every stakeholder to work in tandem for a safe Nigeria.
“We Nigerians make a mockery of ourselves and it’s a big joke. I get angry when I hear such claims. How’s the worst over? As far as I am concerned, Nigeria still has a lot of security gaps against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements. Read more
Fayemi elected President of the Forum of Regions of Africa (Vanguard)
Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF and Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has been elected President of the Forum of Regions of Africa, FORAF.
According to a text message by the Director, Media and Public Affairs of NGF, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, Governor Kayode was on Friday elected President of the Forum of Regions of Africa in Saidia in an election held just this morning in the fringe city of Saidia in Oujda of the state of Casablanca in Morocco.
Recall that from 8th to 10th September 2022, the first edition of the Forum of Regions of Africa (FORAF) is taking place in Saïdia (Morocco), in the Oriental region. Under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
The Forum is organised by United Cities and Local Governments of Africa, UCLG Africa in collaboration with the Association of Moroccan Regions (ARM), the Council of the Oriental Region (CRO) and the Directorate General of Territorial Collectivities (DGCT) of the Ministry of the Interior of the Kingdom of Morocco. Read more
Ana de Armas believes she was haunted by Marilyn Monroe on “Blonde” set (PageSix)
Ghosts are a girl’s best friend.
Ana de Armas believes that Marilyn Monroe was haunting the cast in her new movie “Blonde,” where she portrays the Hollywood icon.
“I think she was happy. She would also throw things off the wall sometimes and get mad if she didn’t like something,” De Armas told reporters at the Venice Film Festival, according to Reuters.
“Maybe this sounds very mystical, but it is true. We all felt it.”
The “Knives Out” star, 34, added that believes Moroe was always nearby. Read more
King Charles appears on verge of tears as he thanks his ‘darling Mama’ (Metro)
King Charles III has promised a ‘lifelong service’ to the country as he pays tribute to the Queen on her ‘last, great journey’.
He spoke at a time of profound change, national mourning – and, for him personally, deep loss.
The new monarch became visibly emotional as he spoke of the lasting impression of the Queen’s legacy.
‘I pay tribute to my mother’s memory and I honour her life of service’, said the King. Read more
African nations demand climate change financing ahead of COP27 (AlJazeera)
The leaders of two dozen African countries have urged wealthier nations to uphold their aid pledges so the continent can tackle climate change impacts for which it shares little blame.
African minister made their call in a communique at the close of a three-day forum in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Friday and two months before Egypt hosts the crucial COP27 climate conference in Sharm El-Sheikh in November.
We urge “developed countries to fulfil their pledges in relation to climate and development finance, and deliver on their commitments to double adaptation finance, in particular to Africa,” the 24 leaders said in a closing statement.
The African continent emits only some 3 percent of global CO2 emissions, former UN chief Ban Ki-moon noted this week. Read more
Africans say goodbye to Queen who led Britain into post-colonial era (VOA)
Condolence messages on the death of Queen Elizabeth have been pouring in from Africa, where the queen made many visits during her 70-year rule.
Elizabeth became queen while in Kenya in 1952, and her first overseas tour as monarch was in South Africa. She later helped steer Britain through the end of its colonial rule in Africa, while promoting good ties with the continent’s new countries.
The presidents of Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa are among the African leaders who sent messages mourning the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, who died Thursday at the age of 96.
The queen’s early years on the throne saw Britain lose its colonial empire in Africa. Read more
Chelsea Clinton slams ex-pal Ivanka Trump: ‘She went to the dark side’ (NYPost)
Chelsea Clinton has blasted Ivanka Trump, saying she hasn’t spoken to her former friend since she “crossed to the dark side” almost six years ago.
Chelsea, 42, offered the revelation in an interview on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” Thursday night, where she was joined by mom, Hillary, 74.
“I would say we were friends,” Chelsea said of her relationship with Ivanka, 40. “She’s not the person I called when I was curious about something for my kids or if I was debating a life decision, but we were definitely friends. And then she went to the dark side.”
The pair last spoke in November 2016, shortly after Chelsea’s mom lost the presidential election to Ivanka’s dad, Donald. Read more
Ukraine has retaken 1,000 square kilometres in a week – Zelensky (BBC)
Ukraine says it has retaken more than 1,000 sq km (385 sq miles) of territory in its south and east from Russia in the past week.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that more than 30 settlements had been “liberated” in the Kharkiv region.
Russia’s top occupation official in Kharkiv region conceded Ukrainian forces had won a “significant victory”.
Vitaly Ganchev told Russian TV that the Ukrainians had broken through the Russian defence line.
He said civilians were being evacuated from Kupiansk, one of the most important urban centres in the Russian-held part of Kharkiv, and two other towns. Read more
Jeff Bezos torn to shreds after tweeting in defence of the Queen (Metro)
Jeff Bezos is among the world’s billionaires to offer their condolences following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
Alongside the likes of Bill Gates and Apple CEO Tim Cook, the founder of Amazon took a moment to mark the end of the Queen’s reign.
However, it was an earlier tweet, taking aim at Carnegie Mellon professor Uju Anya, that got him embroiled in a Twitter war over colonisation.
Anya had posted anti-monarchy tweets hours before the news broke of the Queen’s death. Read more
Cadiz, Barca, Madrid, Mallorca, other top La Liga games to thrill fans (Guardian)
Second-placed Barcelona will pay a visit to bottom-placed Cadiz for this weekend’s league match. The host has endured a torrid start to the season, recording four defeats from four matches and scored no goal.
The visitors have bounced back from an opening day goalless draw against Rayo Vallecano. They have won their last three matches, including difficult away games against Sevilla and Real Sociedad. The match will be live on SuperSport La Liga (DStv channel 204) and Select GO La Liga (GOtv channel 32).
League leaders and reigning champions, Real Madrid, will play host to Mallorca on Sunday afternoon at 1:00pm on SuperSport La Liga (DStv channel 204) and Select GO La Liga (GOtv channel 32).
Los Blancos picked up from where they stopped last season, winning all four of their matches. All of their wins have come without a clean sheet. This weekend, they will be hosting a Mallorca team that will pose little attacking threat.
Other games to watchout for include the following today’s fixture: Rayo Vallecano vs Valencia at 1:00pm, Espanyol vs Sevilla at 3:15pm and Atletico Madrid vs Celta Vigo at 8:00pm. They will all be showing on SuperSport La Liga (DStv channel 204) and Select GO La Liga (GOtv channel 32). Read more
Europa: Chukwueze, Olayinka on target (Punch)
Four Nigerian players were on target for their respective European teams in Thursday’s European club competitions, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Villarreal winger, Samuel Chukwueze, scored a goal with an assist as the Yellow Submarines came from a goal down to beat Lech Poznan 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller in Thursday’s Group C’s UEFA Europa Conference League match.
Striker Peter Olayinka also scored his third goal of the season for Czech side Slavia Prague, who drew 1-1 away at Sivasspor in the Conference League.
The Nigerian wasted little time in picking up where he left off last term in the competition, opening his account inside the first four minutes. Aaron Appiadangoye was caught in possession far too casually and Olayinka punished him with a ruthless finish at the near post to put the Czech giants in front. Read more
Italian star Lorenzo Insigne’s status unknown as Toronto FC heads to Atlanta (TorontoStar)
Toronto FC and Atlanta United have had difficult weeks ahead of their MLS clash Saturday, with off-field concerns overshadowing their push for the playoffs.
Italian star Lorenzo Insigne missed TFC practice Thursday dealing with “a personal family situation.” The club did not elaborate but the matter was serious enough that fellow Italian Domenico Criscito skipped training “to support Lorenzo and his family.”
Toronto was scheduled to travel Friday to Atlanta with Insigne’s status up in the air.
Insigne, who is married with two children, had a scare in early August as Toronto was preparing to return home from a 4-3 win in Nashville. News of a “family health situation” after the team boarded its charter prompted TFC to delay the flight so the Italian could get more information. The former Napoli captain subsequently pulled out of the MLS all-star skills competition in Minneapolis but returned to training later that week. Read more
Adelabu slams minister as FG declares LMC illegal (Guardian)
Former Green Eagles winger, Adegoke Adelabu, has carpeted Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, describing as ‘unnecessary’ a declaration by the Federal Government, yesterday, that it is withdrawing its recognition of the League Management Company (LMC), as operator of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
A statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Ismaila Abubakar, yesterday, stated that government is constrained to withdraw its recognition of the LMC, as the operator of the NPFL with immediate effect.
“In view of the several unpleasant incidents regarding the management of the Football League, specifically, the declaration of the National Football League (NFL), as an illegal body by a Court; the status of the League Management Company (LMC), the NFL’s successor-in-title being outside the purview of the Statutes of the NFF; the Federal Government is constrained to withdraw its recognition of the LMC as the operator of the Nigeria Professional Football League, with immediate effect.
“This decision has become necessary because of the obvious aberration (which is at variance with our football statutes or the laws of the land) whereby a private company is GIFTED the mandate to manage or run the league indefinitely, without the full involvement of and leadership by the clubs and devoid of any process to monitor the progress and development of the game.” Read more
Real Sociedad defender gives verdict on facing Manchester United winger Antony (MEN)
Real Sociedad left-back Aihen Munoz says he found it “difficult” to fend off the attacks of Antony and other Manchester United teammates during Thursday’s Europa League win.
The visitors had failed to score against the Reds in their four previous meetings but snatched the three points thanks to the awarding of a dubious penalty.
Antony netted a debut goal against Arsenal on Sunday but was unable to make a significant mark on Thursday’s match before exiting the game on 71 minutes.
That said, Munoz still found him a handful. After full-time, when asked by AS how it was to face Antony, he replied: “Covering these players is very difficult.” Read more
Max Verstappen receives 5-place grid penalty for Italian Grand Prix after engine change (DailyMail)
Max Verstappen has been handed a five-place grid penalty for this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix after changing his engine.
The reigning world champion is 109 points clear at the top of the current standings, and has installed a new internal combustion engine ahead of the race at Monza on Sunday.
Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz have also picked up penalties for car alterations, with Hamilton and Sainz set to start from the back of the grid.
It’s unlikely the penalty will be too much of an issue for Verstappen, who has proved to be head and shoulders above anyone else on the grid this year. Read more
BMW PGA Championship to resume on Saturday as 54-hole event (RTE)
The BMW PGA Championship will resume on Saturday following the postponement of play after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Shane Lowry was just two shots off joint leaders Tommy Fleetwood, Andy Sullivan and Viktor Hovland shared the clubhouse lead on six under par when play was suspended.
Rory McIlroy was a further two back, after the opening round which was suspended following the death of the queen, with 30 players on the course.
The course and practice facilities were closed on Friday, but play will restart at 6.40am on Saturday with the tournament reduced to 54 holes. A two-minute period of silence will also be held at 9.50am on Saturday. Read more