Atiku has answers to Nigeria’s challenges – Okowa (DailyTrust)
Delta Governor, Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, has said Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate for the 2023 General Elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has solutions to the numerous challenges bedeviling the country.
Okowa said this on Thursday in his acceptance speech after his nomination as Vice-Presidential Candidate of the PDP at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
He said the solutions to Nigeria’s problems as a nation lay in Atiku’s book “My Covenant With Nigeria” and urged party members and all Nigerians to join hands with the PDP to rescue the nation from maladministration.
According to him, we must create in ourselves a new approach to political issues, a new commitment which I believe we all yearn for.
The vice-presidential candidate said, “It will require a lot of commitment and unity from each and everyone of us in our various wards, local governments and states. Read more
Aggrieved Lagos politicians ask court to disqualify Senator Adeola from senatorial race (ThisDay)
A Federal High Court, in Lagos has given Senator Olamilekan Solomon Adeola till Tuesday, June 21, 2022 to show cause why he should not be restrained from contesting in the 2023 general election.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa summoned the senator while granting a motion ex parte filed by some aggrieved registered voters and members of the Lagos West Senatorial District, in suit numbered FHC/L/CS/822/2022.
The plaintiffs are: Barrister Sanni Said; Engineer Giwa Tijani Sheu; Chief Adesoji Adepoju Martin’s; Mike Okefuna; Olatunbosun Komolafe; Mrs. Sanni Oluwatoyin; Ibrahim Fatai; Bolaji Durojaiye and AbdulKareem Idowu
While other defendants alongside Senator Adeola are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); All Progressive Congress (APC) and the National Assembly. Read more
Technology key to Lagos Smart City project’— Commissioner (Nation)
The Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Hakeem Fahm has said technology has a very critical role to play in the state government’s plan to transform the state into a smart city and make the economy 21st century compliant is fully on course.
Fahm said the on-going laying of 3,000 km fibre metro network cables and broadband infrastructure across the state is part of the comprehensive Smart City programme of the government aimed at driving Lagos into a 24-hour economy, adding that technology is key to the project.
He added that the state has implemented over 2,800km of 3,000km of Fibre Metro Network in Phase I of the Unified Duct project, noting that the broadband infrastructure rollout is to enable rapidity in commercial activities, government services, social connectivity and technological development through the provision of internet access.
He said the Babajide Sanwo-Olu government is keen on making Lagos the citadel of digital enterprise, a fertile market for investment and an urban hub of innovation and commerce. Read more
Lagos motorists, commuters lament gridlock on Cele-Okota road (Guardian)
Motorists and commuters plying Okota through the flyover bridge at Cele, to link Oshodi-Apapa, have lamented the worsening gridlock on the road.
They complained that gridlock, which has become a daily routine on the route is precipitated by obstructions by men of Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), police, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority officers (LASTMA), which reduce the road to a lane.
The Guardian witnessed three points of interception that are usually problematic along the axis, where traffic officers also operate. They include, U-turn from Okota, Cele Bus Stop and a spot abandoned by HITECH, the sub-contractor handling the rehabilitation of Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.
The uncompleted construction work by Hitech Construction Company, has a depression on the service lane right at the top of Cele canal. Read more
2023: Why I’d rather die fighting for a cause – Falz (Vanguard)
Nigerian rapper, Folarin Falana, professionally known as Falz has said that he would rather die fighting for a cause than getting knocked down by a biker on a road where there’s no proper traffic control.
The rapper who was addressing the state of the nation in an interview with Osi Suave, the Nigerian OAP, also stated that Nigeria needs a general overhaul.
He said, “We need a very large and general overhaul. A lot of things need to be revamped,” he said.
“Some argue even the constitution needs amendment. Read more
Technological glitches responsible for non-payment of pension – PTAD (Channels)
The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) on Thursday said technological glitches are responsible for the non-payment of pension to retired federal civil servants in Lagos.
Executive Secretary of PTAD, Dr Chioma Ejikeme, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily said her agency was working on resolving the delayed payments.
A Lagos state secretary of the National Union of Pensioners, Abiodun Michael, had lamented that some pensioners were being owed up to nine months.
“Most of these people, their money goes into medicine,” he said. “They are dying everyday. In a week, you will get four to five obituaries.”Read more
Rave-of-the-moment singer, Asake, teases fans with debut album (DailyTrust)
Afrobeat musician, Asake also known as Mr Money has hinted that he would soon release his debut album to the delight of his fans.
The rave-of-the-moment artiste took to his verified Twitter account, stating that he is eagerly anticipating the release of his album. He further stated that he cannot wait to share his project with the world.
He wrote; “I can’t wait to share my first ever Album with the world “MR MONEY WITH THE VIBE #MMWTV Coming Soon”.
The singer rose to fame in 2020 after dropping a freestyle called “Lady”, he further renewed his confidence in himself and trust in his fans by dropping a smashing track called “Mr Money”, a song which he later remixed featuring Zlatan and Peruzzi. Read more
ASUU strike: Pass no-confidence vote on Buhari, HURIWA tells NASS (Punch)
Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, has called on the National Assembly to pass a vote of no confidence on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
According to the group, the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, which began on February 14, has endangered the security of the country with students being out of classrooms.
This was contained in a statement signed by the National Coordinator, HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, on Wednesday, which noted that students could have been recruited to commit crimes such as terrorism, banditry, Internet fraud, prostitution, and drug trafficking.
The statement read in part, “We call on the National Assembly to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari for letting the ASUU strike linger thereby endangering national security. Everyone knows an idle hand is the devil’s workshop. This is why it is not imaginable that some undergraduate youths would have gone into sophisticated crimes such as kidnappings, cultism, terrorism, and drug trafficking, amongst others. Read more
Osinachi: Peter Nwachukwu’s trial adjourned till June 20 (Vanguard)
Trial of late gospel singer’s husband, Peter Nwachukwu, has been adjourned till on Monday, June 20 and Tuesday June 21.
Arriving, the court premises at press time, this correspondent was told by the court registry that the FCT High Court Judge, Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme, was absent and would not be sitting today.
Recall that the federal government slammed a 23-count charge against the late gospel singer’s husband, which borders on domestic violence and homicide.
The defendant, whose wife allegedly died as a result of prolonged assault by him, pleaded not guilty to all the allegations that were contained in the charge the Federal Government preferred against him. Read more
New photos show more damage to Marilyn Monroe gown (BBC)
A US museum is facing fresh criticism for allowing Kim Kardashian to wear an iconic Marilyn Monroe gown, after new photos revealed more damage to it.
The dress, which Kardashian wore to the Met Gala in May, now has stretched fabric and missing crystals, according to Monroe historians.
Its current owner, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, is facing criticism for failing to properly care for the fragile gown.
Monroe wore it when she sang Happy Birthday to President Kennedy in 1962.
Scott Fortner, who has curated his own private collection of Marilyn Monroe artefacts, posted photos online that he said showed “significant” damage after it was loaned to the reality TV star. Read more
The Vamps to play Greatest Hits gig in Belfast this December (BelfastTelegraph)
The Vamps are to bring their 10-year anniversary tour to Belfast later this year, it’s been announced.
The boy band will mark a decade that has included five album releases, global gigs and festivals playing to over two million people and over six billion streams, with a Greatest Hits Tour of the UK and Ireland.
The tour will kick off in Manchester in November and will see the Can We Dance pop stars travel to 11 different cities, including Belfast’s SSE Arena on Monday, December 5, 2022.
The four-piece will be in Belfast this Sunday, supporting Picture This at Ormeau Park as part of Belsonic, but the December gig will be a headliner. Read more
Lil Wayne denied entry into U.K. for festival performance (NBC)
Rapper Lil Wayne will no longer perform at a British music festival this weekend after he was declined entry into the United Kingdom, organizers have said.
The five-time Grammy Award winner, who was sentenced to one year in jail in 2010 relating to a gun possession charge, was scheduled to take to the stage at the Strawberries & Creem festival on Saturday.
Ludacris will now perform instead.
“Due to extreme circumstances beyond our control or influence, we are very sorry to inform you that Lil Wayne is now unable to perform at the festival on Saturday 18th June,” festival organisers said in a statement on Wednesday. Read more
Common presented social justice award by Robert De Niro (HipHopDX)
Common was presented with Tribeca Festival’s second annual Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award on Wednesday (June 15) by legendary actor Robert De Niro.
In a tribute page about the Chicago native, Common is noted for “breaking down barriers with a multitude of critically acclaimed, diverse roles, and continued success in all aspects of his career.” This includes “dedicating countless hours” and being “deeply engaged in social justice and advocacy work around mass incarceration, mental health and voting,” while “empowering high school students from underserved communities to become future leaders.”
Common shared a photo with Robert De Niro on Instagram, writing in the caption, “Tonight I received the Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award and was presented to me by one of the greatest of all time: Robert De Niro. Thank you, @tribeca for all the love.”
Robert De Niro — who founded film and TV production company Tribeca — was full of praise for Common on stage and closed out his speech with a nod to the rapper’s stage name. Read more
‘Blonde’ Trailer: Ana de Armas stuns as Marilyn Monroe in Netflix’s NC-17 drama (Variety)
Netflix has debuted the first evocative footage from Andrew Dominik’s “Blonde,” starring Ana de Armas as Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe. The movie, based on the bestselling novel by Joyce Carol Oates, is notable for its NC-17 rating. The supporting cast includes Bobby Cannavale, Adrien Brody, Julianne Nicholson, Xavier Samuel and Evan Williams.
The official “Blonde” synopsis from Netflix reads: “[The film] boldly reimagines the life of one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons, Marilyn Monroe. From her volatile childhood as Norma Jeane, through her rise to stardom and romantic entanglements, ‘Blonde’ blurs the lines of fact and fiction to explore the widening split between her public and private selves.”
“Andrew’s ambitions were very clear from the start — to present a version of Marilyn Monroe’s life through her lens,” de Armas recently told Netflix Queue. “He wanted the world to experience what it actually felt like to not only be Marilyn, but also Norma Jeane. I found that to be the most daring, unapologetic, and feminist take on her story that I had ever seen.”
“We worked on this film for hours, every single day for almost a year,” de Armas added. “I read Joyce’s novel, studied hundreds of photographs, videos, audio recordings, films — anything I could get my hands on. Every scene is inspired by an existing photograph. We’d pore over every detail in the photo and debate what was happening in it. The first question was always, ‘What was Norma Jeane feeling here?’ We wanted to tell the human side of her story. Fame is what made Marilyn the most visible person in the world, but it also made Norma the most invisible.” Read more
Juror in Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial disputes claim jury was influenced by social media (People)
An anonymous juror who sat on the defamation trial of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard insists that social media had nothing to do with the verdict he and the six other jurors came to.
Earlier this month, the seven-person jury sided mostly with Depp, 59, and awarded him more than $10 million in damages, deciding that Heard defamed him in a 2018 op-ed about becoming a “public figure representing domestic abuse,” though she did not mention Depp by name. Additionally, they awarded Heard, 36, $2 million in damages on one of her three defamation countersuit claims.
In a conversation with ABC News that aired Thursday morning, one of the five male jurors said that despite Heard and her attorney Elaine Bredehoft’s claims to the contrary, social media did not play a part in the jury’s decision.
“We followed the evidence,” the juror alleged. “Myself and at least two other jurors don’t use Twitter or Facebook. Others who had it made a point not to talk about it.” Read more
UK sanctions Russian Orthodox head; decries forced adoption (VOA)
Britain announced a new round of sanctions Thursday against Russia, targeting the head of the Russian Orthodox Church for his prominent support for the war in Ukraine as well as Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, who Britain said is responsible for the forced transfer and adoption of hundreds of Ukrainian children into Russia.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, has “repeatedly abused his position to justify the war” on Ukraine. Kirill is a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Truss also targeted children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, who has been accused of enabling the taking of 2,000 vulnerable children from the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in eastern Ukraine and facilitating their forced adoptions in Russia.
Others on Thursday’s list include four colonels from a brigade known to have killed, raped and tortured civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha. Read more
Udogie’s agent holds ‘pleasant’ meeting with Inter (Punch)
Destiny Udogie’s agent, Stefano Antonelli, Tuesday met Inter over a possible transfer for the Udinese player, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Nerazzurri who are close to signing Raoul Bellanova remains in the race for the Udinese starlet just as Tottenham, West Ham and Juventus.
The Italy international is one of the hottest commodities in Serie A following an impressive season at the Dacia Arena, where he scored five goals and delivered three assists in 35 league appearances.
Antonelli spoke to Inter directors on Wednesday, and described the meeting as an ‘an initial, pleasant chat.’ He added that the two parties ‘will meet again to update the situation.’ Read more
Benue FA honours NFF’s Vice President, Seyi Akinwunmi (Vanguard)
For his giant strides in developing grassroots football in Nigeria, the Executive Board of Benue State Football Association (BSFA) has honoured the 1st Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Barr. Seyi Akinwunmi.
The honour came with an award tagged, ‘Father of Nigeria Grassroots Football’ presented to him by the BSFA Chairperson, Hon. Chief (Mrs) Margret Icheen, during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Ratels/Benue state League, championed by Ratels Sports Development Foundation, RSDF.
In her remarks, Icheen said that the state FA would continually support the Lagos-based football administrator who is also the chairman of Youth football development of NFF.
“I sincerely appreciate Barr. Seyi for all he does for the growth and development of Nigerian football especially in Benue state. It is our honour bestow on you this award as the father of Grassroots football in Nigeria. Read more
Yves Bissouma passes Tottenham medical as Antonio Conte targets three more signings (Standard)
Tottenham are set to complete the signing of Yves Bissouma after the Brighton midfielder today passed his medical.
Spurs have agreed an initial fee of around £25million for Bissouma, although that figure could rise to over £30m due to various add-ons.
Brighton had been reluctant to let the 25-year-old go but, with just one year remaining on his contract and no hope of getting him to sign an extension, they have elected to cash in on him.
Bissouma underwent a medical at Tottenham’s training ground on Thursday and has now completed the final stages of his move to the club. Read more
Chelsea confirm resumption of deal with shirt sponsors Three ‘with immediate effect’ (Mirror)
Chelsea have confirmed that shirt sponsors Three have resumed their agreement with the club, having paused their deal after Roman Abramovich was sanctioned.
The UK government had hit Abramovich and his assets with a range of penalties due to his close ties with Russian president Vladimir Putin. One of those assets was Chelsea, who were banned from selling tickets, making signings, negotiating contracts or even opening their club shop.
In an attempt to avoid being tainted by Abramovich and his ties to Russia following their invasion of Ukraine, Three opted to temporarily sever their links with Chelsea. The telecommunications company reportedly requested that their branding be taken off the Blues’ shirts, though that never materialised.
“We recognise that this decision will impact the many Chelsea fans who follow their team passionately. However, we feel that given the circumstances, and the Government sanction that is in place, it is the right thing to do,” the company said in a statement at the time. Read more
Tyson Fury promises to give Piers Morgan £1million if he fights Anthony Joshua (Express)
Tyson Fury has agreed to give Piers Morgan £1million if he performs a retirement U-turn and returns to boxing to potentially fight Anthony Joshua. The Gypsy King has confidently insisted he has permanently retired after a sensational knockout win over Dillian Whyte before 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in April.
Earlier this week, he took to social media to seemingly price himself out of a fight, naming half a billion pounds as his price tag for a stunning return. And during Wednesday night’s ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’, Fury again confirmed that he was “finished” in professional boxing unless his astronomical demands were met.
He said: “I put a ridiculous number on today. I said I’ll come back for half a billy, half a billion pounds. That’s £500million. If that’s not ridiculous… I don’t know what it is! When that number is on the table, I would definitely look at it. Half a billy is half a billy.”
Morgan then asked Fury to hand him £1m if he decided to get in the ring again, which the heavyweight vowed to do, considering it would be a minuscule portion of his return payday. “If I am getting half a billion for my fight, it won’t matter, will it? Yep, 100 percent.” Read more
Williams planning ‘visibly different’ look for FW44 (F1i)
The Williams team says it’s in the final stages of preparing its first major upgrade of the 2022 season, one that should make a visible difference to the existing FW44.
Although the team finished in the points in Melbourne and Miami, the absence of any major upgrades over the course of the first eight races of the season have meant it has fallen back compared to its rivals.
In the most recent outing in Baku, Alex Albon finished the race in 12th while Nicholas Latifi ran the whole race in last after he was handed an insurmountable ten second stop-go penalty due to a mechanic touching the car after the allowed time before the start.
While the team has nothing new for this weekend’s Canadian GP, head of vehicle performance Dave Robson pledged they were not too far off. Read more
Novak Djokovic’s opponent for exhibition at Archeological Park revealed (TennisWorld)
Archeological Park director Semir Osmanagic has revealed Novak Djokovic will take on Croatia’s Ivan Dodig in an exhibition match on July 13, Bosnian newspaper Avaz has reported. The Archeological Park in Bosnia, a place where Djokovic loves to come to recharge his batteries, is getting two tennis courts.
The opening of the courts is scheduled for July 13 and the Archeological Park organization is planning to make a special ceremony, which will feature 20-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic. In the other singles match, Aljaz Bedene will clash with Bosnia’s Aldin Setkic.
Djokovic will also play a doubles match as he and Setkic will take on Bedene and Dodig. “We are pleased to confirm the participation of big tennis names in the opening of our tennis courts. Novak confirmed his arrival on July 13, when the opening ceremony of this unique complex in our country is planned,” Osmanagic told Avaz.
“From 2023, we want to be the organizers of the Pyramids Cup, which would bring together four of the best tennis players from the region. We hope they would play Marin Cilic, who was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, maybe Borna Coric, Damir Dumhur, if his schedule allows him, maybe even Djokovic. Read more