At 55, I married as a virgin –Osun newly-wed woman (Punch)
A 55-year-old spinster, Esther Bamiloye, who recently got married to a 62-year-old bachelor, Isaac Bakare, in Osun State, tells BOLA BAMIGBOLA she’s grateful God finally answered her prayer to get married
What is your name and age?
I am Lady Evangelist Esther Bamiloye, now Mrs Bakare. I am the 55-year-old woman that got married recently for the first time in her life. My husband is Isaac Bakare, a 62-year-old artisan. Before we got married, he was never married too.
I have a Grade 2 certificate, but I am not into teaching. I am into garment production. I produce garment such as vests, sports wears, washable diapers and more. Read more
Sanwo-Olu charges Odu’a Investment Company to focus on agric value chain (Independent)
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has called on his counterparts in the South-West States to invest massively in agricultural development which include storage and processing to realign with the intent of the founding fathers for the growth and development of the South Western region in the face of contemporary challenges.
He stated this on Friday while speaking at the 45th Anniversary Lecture of Odu’a Investment Company held at the Airport Hotel Ikeja.
Sanwo-Olu was represented by Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, his Deputy added that it is essential to the survival and revitalization of the region.
He said about 45 per cent of tomatoes produced in the country get wasted due to poor storage and processing as not everything gets to the market, adding that such underscores the need for the government in the region to invest in such areas. Read more
Foundation to empower 1,500 women in Lagos (Guardian)
A non-governmental organisation, Adonai Empowerment Foundation (AEF) will on Saturday, November 20, 2021, give N2.5 million worth of business grants to 50 women as well as distribute relief materials to over 1,500 women in Lagos.
The Foundation’s Lead Director, Michael Oladapo, disclosed this yesterday at a press briefing to announce the event tagged ‘Compassion 2021’ in Festac Town, Lagos.
He stated that the charity event, which is in its 31st edition, would hold at His Glory Event Centre, Second Avenue, Festac Town, stressing that it would focus on giving grants for micro and small businesses to women, providing medical checks and drugs for the women as well as distribution of relief materials.
Oladapo said: “We have been doing it for the past 30 years. It helps us to capture all our humanitarian effort, which is our outreach to widows, aged women, downtrodden, market women but particularly the disadvantaged women. We reach out to women in dire need of assistance for their businesses. Read more
Police parade alleged killer of Vanguard journalist (Sun)
The Nigeria Police in Abuja on Friday paraded an alleged hit-and-run driver, Itoro Clement, said to have been responsible for the death of the missing Vanguard journalist, Tordue, Salem.
Late Salem, an indigene of Benue State, who was covering the House of Representatives, went missing on October 13, 2021. His disappearance caused a stir amongst journalists in Abuja who reported the matter to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command and embarked on a peaceful protest to the Police Headquarters to demand his unconditional release by his captors.
Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, who attended to the protesting journalists, had assured that the police were doing everything in their powers to unravel the circumstances surrounding his sudden disappearance and making progress in its investigation.
To convince the journalists that the police were not sweeping the matter under the carpet, Mba, had said that “investigation so far our by the police showed that After the close of work that day, the deceased was said to have alighted from a cab at Total Filling Station, close to the Force headquarters, and headed for B.J’s garden, in the company of a female relative.” Read more
VAT row: FG eyes out-of-court settlement (Punch)
The Federal Government has hinted that it may explore an out-of-court solution to the lingering legal battle between its agency, Federal Inland Revenue Service, and Rivers and Lagos states over the collection of Value Added Tax.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, noted that efforts were ongoing on the issue but she did not give details as the matter was subjudice.
Speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday night, Ahmed said she hoped there would be a political solution to the issue rather than a protracted court case.
The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, had on August 9 ruled that Rivers State and not the FIRS should be the authority collecting VAT and Personal Income Tax in the state.
Mathematics teachers tasked on innovative methods (Sun)
Mathematics Teachers in Lagos State have been advised to embrace innovative methods and use of instructional materials in order to attract attention of students and improve their performance in the subject.
This was the consensus of participants at the Annual General Meeting of the Lagos State Chapter of the Mathematical Association of Nigeria (MAN) held in Oshodi, Lagos State.
Newly elected president of the Association, Dr Nasirdeen Ayinde Malik, said the new regime had made resolution of the problem of failure in Mathematics its number one priority.
“We want to make Mathematics more pleasurable. For years people have been failing Mathematics at WAEC and NECO. We ask ourselves what has contributed to this. This is part of the questions this regime wants to provide answers to,” he said. Read more
Gombe: APC crisis deepens as Gov Yahaya, Goje feud festers (DailyTrust)
What seems to be a concealed political dispute between Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje and his erstwhile godson, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, was blown open on Friday, November 5, 2021, when thugs blocked Goje from entering Gombe town.
Goje, who had been away from the state for some months, visited to attend the wedding of his granddaughter. But he was kept for hours by thugs, who insisted that he would not enter the town. This led to the death of one person, while over 40 vehicles, including Goje’s SUV, were vandalised.
Before the dust generated by the attack on the former governor’s convoy could settle, his daughter, Dr Hussaina Goje, resigned her position as commissioner and member of the State Executive Council, “citing personal reasons.”
Governor Yahaya, a successful businessman, came to political limelight in 2003 when he was appointed by Goje as commissioner for finance and economic planning, an office he occupied for seven years. Read more
Nigeria needs responsible political, religious leaders, says Osinbajo (Punch)
The Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbanjo, has said Nigeria as a secular nation needs responsible political and religious leaders.
According to him, a religious leader who preaches against another and a political leader who cannot carry everyone along are irreverent.
He spoke on Friday at the launch of a book titled, “Winning leadership” authored by Pat Akem.
Osinbajo said, “So we are in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society and need responsible political leaders. We need responsible religious leaders, not those who are prepared to destroy the unity of the country so that they can be hailed by their parochial communities. A religious leader who preaches that we should hate other religions is not relevant today. I’m a pastor, but I know that God loves Muslims. I must not discriminate against people of another faith. Read more
Marwa charges military officers on book writing (Leadership)
Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) has charged military officers to engage in book writing to expand the frontiers of knowledge in the service.
Marwa gave the charge in his remarks during the presentation of “The Marwa Awards” to two Army officers who came first in order of merit in the Lieutenant – Captain Practical Promotion Examination and Senior Staff Course Qualifying Examination during the Nigerian Army Infantry Biennial Reunion in Jaji, Kaduna state on Friday 12th November.
“I would like to encourage officers to venture more into the field of writing to expand the frontiers of knowledge in the service”, he stated.
The merit awards were recently instituted by Gen. Marwa to encourage excellence and professionalism among military officers. While commending the two officers, Major AC Ogbuogu and Lt OR Oyetunde, a female officer who won the awards, Marwa said “ I know coming first in these examinations is a reward of hardwork because I came first in my time in these exams so I should know.” Read more
Nigeria, others to get malaria vaccine by first quarter of 2022 –AHM (Punch)
The Assembly of Health Ministers of the ECOWAS region on Friday announced that Nigeria and other African countries would get access to the newly developed malaria vaccine by the first quarter of 2022.
The Health Minister of Ghana, who is also the chairman of the assembly, Dr Kweku Agyeman-Manu, disclosed this to journalists at the 22nd ordinary session of the health ministers in Abuja on Friday.
According to Agyeman-Manu, countries, like Nigeria, would also support the West African region in the procurement of the vaccine.
He said, “We are expecting that the vaccine will be adopted and the rollout will begin in Africa as early as the first quarter of next year. Read more
Britney Spears hails ‘best day ever’ as conservatorship is ended (Aljazeera)
A judge in the United States has ended the conservatorship that has controlled Britney Spears‘ life and money for nearly 14 years, in a decision that the singer said marked her “best day ever”.
The decision on Friday capped a stunning five-month odyssey that saw Spears publicly demand the end of the conservatorship, hire her own lawyer, have her father removed from the arrangement and finally win the freedom to make her own medical, financial and personal decisions for the first time since 2008.
Effective today, the conservatorship of the person and the estate of Britney Jean Spears is hereby terminated,” Judge Brenda Penny said in announcing her decision.
Spears was not present in court, but said in an Instagram post, “I love my fans so much it’s crazy!!! I think I’m gonna cry the rest of the day !!!! Best day ever.” Read more
Arbitrary arrests tear apart journalists’ families in Kashmir (VOA)
When Gulzar Ahmad Dar reads the local newspaper, he isn’t interested in the news and latest events in Kashmir. He wants to know what is happening to his son, Manan Gulzar Dar.
The photojournalist, whose work has appeared in local outlets and publications such as The Guardian and the Pacific Press photo agency, was arrested October 10 as part of a conspiracy case in which India says militant groups were plotting to take action.
Ahmad Dar accompanied his son to the police station in the Batamaloo locality of Srinagar that day. But since then, the family has received few details about what has happened to Manan Dar, or a second son who was also arrested.
It was only through media reports that they know the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took Manan Dar into custody in New Delhi, more than 15 hours away by car. Read more
Bannon charged for ignoring riot probe’s subpoena (Independent)
Stephen Bannon, a longtime adviser to former US president Donald Trump, has been criminally charged for failing to comply with a subpoena issued by a House of Representatives committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol, the Justice Department said last night.
Mr Bannon has refused to comply with the subpoena seeking documents and his testimony, citing Mr Trump’s insistence – already rejected by one judge – that he has a legal right under a legal principle known as executive privilege to keep those communications confidential.
Mr Bannon (67) was charged with one count of contempt of Congress involving his refusal to appear for a deposition and another involving his refusal to produce documents, the Justice Department said.
Contempt of Congress is a misdemeanour punishable by up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $100,000. Read more
Biden says infrastructure bill will ease inflation pressure (BellinghamHerald)
President Joe Biden said the $550 billion in fresh infrastructure spending he’ll sign into law Monday will help ease inflation that’s raising consumer alarm and weighing on his approval rating.
If implemented correctly, the measure that cleared Congress last week will “lower inflationary pressures on our economy,” Biden said Friday.
“If we do it right, we know what it will mean — it will create millions of new jobs, grow the economy and we’ll win the world economic competition we’re engaged in in the second quarter of the 21st century, with China and many other countries around the world,” Biden said in a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
Biden said he’ll announce his pick next week to oversee the infrastructure spending. The White House said the president will select someone from outside the administration. Biden said he wants the person to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse, as he did as vice president during the implementation of stimulus programs during the Obama administration. Read more
Kathryn Hahn’s WandaVision spinoff series is officially confirmed (DailyMail)
Disney officially confirmed the highly-anticipated WandaVision spinoff series centered around Kathryn Hahn’s fan-favorite character Agatha Harkness on Friday.
As part of the Disney+ Day, the production company unveiled the mystical logo for the forthcoming series, titled Agatha: House of Harkness, which will see Hahn reprise the role.
Along with Agatha: House of Harkness, Disney premiered information and visuals for several Marvel Studios projects that will be arriving on the streaming platform in the near future.
The spinoff series for Agatha Harkness was first teased in October by Variety following the success of the superhero-based program WandaVision. Read more
Summer Zervos: Ex-Apprentice drops lawsuit against Trump (BBC)
Summer Zervos, an ex-contestant on The Apprentice, accused Mr Trump of groping her in a Los Angeles hotel room as she asked him for career advice in 2007.
She sued him for defamation in January 2017 after he dismissed allegations of misconduct against him as “lies”.
Mr Trump was seeking to countersue her for infringing his free speech rights.
The sudden discontinuation of the lawsuit spares Mr Trump from being questioned under oath about Ms Zervos’ accusations. He had been due to be deposed in a Manhattan court next month. Read more
Sleaze scandal hits Tory support as Labour moves ahead by six points in new poll (Mirror)
A new poll has given Labour a six-point lead as two-thirds of voters consider the Tories “very sleazy” amid a growing sleaze scandal.
It is a sign that recent revelations about MPs’ second jobs and the handling of the Owen Paterson affair could hurt Boris Johnson’s party at the ballot box.
The Tories held a three-point lead in a survey carried out a week ago, and the latest poll is sure to heap further pressure on the Prime Minister.
The poll shows that 66% of voters believe Mr Johnson should apologise for his handling of the Paterson scandal, including 60% among Tory voters. Read more
Super Eagles won’t take Liberia for granted – Pascal (Leadership)
Super Eagles coordinator, Patrick Pascal, said the Super Eagles of Nigeria will not want to take any chances against the Lone Stars of Liberia in their Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifying clash in Morocco on Saturday
Pascal, while speaking on LEADERSHIP Podcast’s live show, ‘Sports Orbit’, said the players are determined to avoid a repeat of what happened against the Central African Republic in Lagos.
“What is on the players’ mind is to have total concentration towards the match against Liberia. We don’t want a repeat of what happened against the Central African Republic. Everybody is concentrating towards the match and our aim is to come out with the maximum three points.
“The training yesterday was so intensive and the most important thing is that these players are in good condition and their concentration is super,” Pascal said. Read more
Maguire defends goal celeb after Keane says: ’embarrassing’ (Sky)
Maguire, who has come in for some criticism for his Manchester United performances this season, opened the scoring inside 10 minutes, before Harry Kane scored a first-half hat-trick and also set up Jordan Henderson as Albania crumbled at Wembley.
After nodding home Reece James’ free-kick, Maguire celebrated with a knee slide, cupped his hands to his face and put his fingers into his ears, drawing a scathing response from Keane.
“I think he puts his hands to his ears like he’s shut the critics up, but I think that’s embarrassing,” the Sky Sports pundit said on ITV.
Maguire, speaking after the game, was adamant his gesture was not aimed at anyone in particular. Read more
CAF Women’s Champions League: Rivers Angels trash Vihiga Queens 4-0, fail to reach semis (Vanguard)
Four second half goals were not enough as Rivers Angels crashed out of the CAF Women’s Champions League on Friday, finishing third in Group B.
The walloping of Kenya’s Vihiga Queens counted for nothing because the other group game between Mamelodi Sundowns and ASFAR ended in a barren draw meaning both teams qualify to the semi-final and the Port-Harcourt based side will book an early flight home.
Nigeria’s dominance in women football on the continent was not evident in the Nigerian champions losing their first two group games and failing to score a single goal in those matches.
After a goalless first half, Edwin Okon’s side rallied in the second half and got two spot kicks which Vivian Ikechukwu converted before the 70th minute. Although they scored two more through Oluwadamilola Koku and Gift Monday, they needed five goals if they were to stand a chance of progressing while it was also dependent on Sundowns grabbing a win. Read more
Argentina wins at Uruguay without Messi as a starter (TSN)
Argentina closed in on a direct World Cup spot on Friday with a 1-0 win at Uruguay, despite the absence of Lionel Messi for most of the match as he recovers from a left knee injury.
Veteran winger Ángel di María scored the only goal in the seventh minute with a powerful left foot shot from the right corner of the penalty box. Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera didn’t get close to stopping the ball.
Second-place Argentina now has 28 points in 12 matches. The top four teams in South America earn direct entry to the World Cup. The fifth-place team goes into an intercontinental playoff for a spot in Qatar next year.
“Winning today was a gigantic step. We deserve this, we have worked for this,” Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez said. “They needed points, playing here was hard. This Argentina has amazing courage, and when we don’t play well we have to win anyway.” Read more
Defending champion Shapovalov defeats fellow Canadian Auger-Aliassime in Stockholm semis (Globe&Mail)
Denis Shapovalov advanced to his second straight Stockholm Open final with a 6-4, 7-5 win over fellow Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime on Friday.
The third-seeded Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., had seven aces and won 72 per cent of his first-serve points as he improved his career record to 4-3 over his friend and Davis Cup teammate.
Montreal’s Auger-Aliassime, seeded second in Stockholm, was dangerous when his first serve landed, winning 84 per cent of his first serve points. Unfortunately, accuracy was an issue, with only 42 per cent of Auger-Aliassime;s first serves landing in bounds.
Despite the loss, Auger-Aliassime is expected to break into the ATP’s top-10 when the next rankings are released next week. Read more
Qatar 2022 Race: Pinnick charges Super Eagles to leave no room for errors (Independent)
President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr Amaju Pinnick, has told the Super Eagles to leave no room for errors when they square up against the Lone Star of Liberia in their penultimate match of the group phase of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifying race in Tangier on Saturday evening.
Speaking to the players after Friday’s official training at the impressive Grand Stade de Tangier, Pinnick charged the players to work assiduously as a team to earn the win that would lift the pressure off their shoulders going into the final group phase encounter against Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks in Lagos on Tuesday.
“I have seen the training and I am impressed by the level of seriousness, fitness and commitment. The spirit is great and I believe you will do the job tomorrow. Let us leave very few rooms for mistakes; in fact, no room for errors at all.
“I don’t need to start telling you how much Nigerians from all walks of life are looking forward to you picking up the three points here. The three points are important and we should put them in our bags as we fly back to Nigeria tomorrow night.” Read more
Athletes gear up for Warri/Effurun Peace Marathon top prizes (Guardian)
Nigerian runners have stepped up preparations for the 2021 Warri/Effurun Peace Marathon. It will hold on November 27 in Warri, Delta State.
The 10km race, which is in its fifth year, is attracting top Nigerian long-distance runners who are eyeing the N1m top prize in both the male and female categories. There are also consolation prizes for the top then finishers in the race.
According to the technical consultant of the WEPM, coach Gabriel Okon, spreading the winning prizes is to encourage more athletes to participate, and feel satisfied with their efforts during the racecourse.
He added that the race, which was put off last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions, would be conducted under the best COVID-19 protocols. Read more
