Bloody January: Nigeria loses 508 citizens to violence, accidents, others in 19 days (Vanguard)
After surviving the insecurity and other socio-economic challenges of 2022, death is the last thing on the minds of most people who crossed over to January 2023.
However, less than 20 days into 2023, the Nigerian polity is littered with untimely and aborted dreams. No fewer than 508 people, across the country, have had their lives violently terminated in their prime, according to Saturday Vanguard checks.
A deadly combination of violence, accidents, cult clashes, activities of Boko Haram insurgents, unknown gunmen and separatists in, kidnappers, and bandits have practically created many killing fields across Nigeria in the last 19 days.
On December 31 of every year, many people troop to religious and prayer houses where they thank God for the ending year and pray for better tidings— good health, long life, prosperity and other favours in the new year. Read more
Wike threatens to cancel Atiku’s Campaign venue in Rivers (DailyTrust)
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has threatened to cancel the approval for the use of Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt for the campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Wike said the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) in the state, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, had been accessing the venue a month before the February 11 date.
The governor explained that the approval, which was granted at no cost to the PCC, stated that the stadium wod be accessible to the council 48 hours to the rally.
Wike, who disclosed these on Friday while speaking at the campaign flag-off rally of the Rivers State PDP Campaign Council in Oyigbo Local Government Area, said Sekibo has no right to take possession of the stadium one month before the date of the stipulated event. Read more
LASEMA confirms death of one person in collapsed Lagos building (Guardian)
At least one person has been confirmed dead, after a storey building collapsed in the Aromire Avenue, Opposite Dominos Pizza, Ikeja, Lagos State.
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said this in a statement on Thursday. He said the building, formerly occupied by Kilms Mart was being worked on by unskilled labourers, resulting in a partial collapse.
Tragedy struck on Wednesday evening, when the storey building suddenly collapsed.
Oke-Osanyintolu said: “LASEMA responded to distress calls and upon arrival, discovered that a storey building formerly occupied by Kilms Mart, was being worked on by unskilled labourers resulting in a partial collapse. An adult male reported to be a welder lost his life instantly at the scene. His remains were recovered and removed from the scene.” Read more
Indiscipline, others cause of open defecation – Lagos (Punch)
The Lagos State Government has decried the attitude of some residents to public hygiene.
It, however, said it was ready to address the menace of open defecation across the state.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, said the government had embarked on different enlightenment campaigns to encourage residents to develop the culture of using the toilets, especially in public places.
He said the administration of the Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had shown interest in collaboration with both the public and private public toilet operators in providing such facilities at different locations across the state. Read more
2023 Budget: LCCI reiterates concerns over debt costs (Leadership)
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry(LCCI) has reiterated its concerns over debt costs, looking at the deficit financing to come from borrowing to finance the 2023 budget.
The president & chairman of LCCI, Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, stated this at the ‘2023 economic review and budget analysis session’ organised by the chamber in Lagos recently.
Olawale-Cole said: “we need to re-assess our debt sources to borrow at lower rates and also embrace more non-tax revenue sources. The revenue and capital expenditure performance of the 2022 budget indicates the fiscal resilience of the Nigerian economy.
This, he said, should be consolidated for better outcomes in the 2023 fiscal year, adding that a higher non-oil revenue projection in comparison to oil revenue, if effectively implemented and actualised, will minimise the impact of external shocks on our revenues. Read more
2023 census cannot be manipulated – NPC boss (Vanguard)
As the National Population Commission, NPC, makes final preparations for the conduct of the 2023 population census, Chairman of the Commission, Nasir Isa Kwarra, has assured of a credible exercise that cannot be manipulated.
The Chairman also said the census will hold from March 29 to April 1, 2023.
He said that a portal has been opened for young Nigerians to apply as ad-hoc staff and that it has started training for the facilitators.
According to him, recruitment of the ad-hoc staff is local based as they are to be recruited from the localities where they reside and carry out their livelihood. Read more
PDP suspends Chimaroke Nnamani, 7 Ekiti members (Tribune)
Former Enugu State governor, Chimaroke Nnamani, has been suspended from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for anti-party activities.
The action comes as he has been openly canvassing support for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, having previously accepted to serve in the campaign council of the ruling party.
Also suspended is Chris Ogbu, a chieftainof the party in Imo State as well as seven members of the Ekiti State chapter of the PDP.
A statement issued on Friday by Hon. Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary, gave those suspended in the Ekiti State chapter as Ayeni Funso (Ekiti North), Ajijola Lateef Oladimeji (Ekiti Central), Emiola Adenike Jennifer (Ekiti South II), and Ajayi Babatunde Samuel -(Ekiti North II). Read more
Supreme Court affirms Akpabio as Akwa Ibom APC senatorial candidate (Nation)
The Supreme Court has affirmed the nomination of Godswill Akpabio as the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) for Akwa-Ibom North-West Senatorial District. In a judgment on Friday, a five-member panel of the court led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun unanimously allowed the appeal filed by the APC.
In a landmark judgment read by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, the apex court set aside the November 14 judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal, Abuja which earlier voided Akpabio’s nomination.
The apex court held that the issue of nomination of candidates was an internal affair of the political party over which courts lacked jurisdiction. It further held that it was the National Working Committee (NWC) of a party that is empowered to conduct valid primaries for the selection of candidates. The Supreme Court also held that the Court of Appeal was wrong to have assumed jurisdiction over the appeal filed by retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Udom Ekpoudom. Read more
Ariana Grande claps back with a cappella rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” after being accused of no longer being a singer (USMag)
Thank you, next! Ariana Grande waved away the haters with a flawless rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” after she was accused of no longer being a singer.
“Wanted to sing you a little something but don’t want to sing anything that is not ‘Ozian’ at the moment :),” the “Imagine” artist, 29 — who portrays Galinda/Glinda in the upcoming two-part Wicked movie — captioned her TikTok video on Friday, January 20. “Keeping to my little bubble for now … done with lots of love.”
In the clip, Grande mocked some of the recent comments she’s received, writing, “wHy ArEn’T yOu A sInGeR AnyMoRee?!?!?” over the video, which depicted her wrapped up in a pastel pink knitted blanket while on the set of Wicked. The upcoming two-part movie is based on Gregory Maguire’s Wizard of Oz prequel book (and Broadway musical).
“*Is literally on set filming two musical movies everyday*,” she added by way of explanation, noting that she’s “hiding Galinda’s hair” under the blanket. Read more
Brooke Shields reveals she was raped shortly after college in “Pretty Baby” documentary (EW)
Brooke Shields has never shied away from talking about the ways she was sexualized as a child star in Hollywood. But now the actress is revealing that she was raped as a young adult.
In new documentary Pretty Baby, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday, Shields did not name her attacker but detailed the events of a sexual assault that occurred shortly after she graduated college at Princeton, during a period where she was struggling to find work after her early success. Shields met with the man in question for dinner, ostensibly to discuss work. She then returned to his hotel room to wait to call a taxi.
“He said, ‘Come back to the hotel and I’ll call a cab,'” Shields explains in the film. “And I go up to the hotel room, and he disappears for awhile.”
Shields, feeling uncomfortable in a room that wasn’t hers, decided to use binoculars the man had left in the room and watched some volleyball players out the window. “The door opens, the person comes out naked, and I’ve got the binoculars and I’m like, ‘S—,'” she continues. “And I put the binoculars down and he’s right on me. Just like, was wrestling.”
Continuing with her account, Shields explained that she didn’t try to run away because she feared it would provoke further physical violence. “I was afraid I’d get choked out or something,” she says. “So I didn’t fight that much. I didn’t. I just absolutely froze. I thought one ‘No’ should’ve been enough, and I just thought, ‘Stay alive and get out,’ and I just shut it out. God knows I knew how to be disassociated from my body. I’d practiced that…. I went down in the elevator, and I got my own cab. I just cried all the way to my friend’s apartment.” Read more
Pusha T says Tyler, The Creator’s 2022 Grammy win inspired him to work with DJ Drama on a Gangsta Grillz mixtape (TheLineofBestFot)
Pusha T has revealed that Tyler, The Creator’s Grammy-winning project CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST inspired him to work with DJ Drama on their upcoming Gangsta Grillz mixtape.
Last month it was revealed that Pusha T was working with DJ Drama on a new Gangsta Grillz mixtape to follow up his 2022 album It’s Almost Dry, and while speaking to Complex at Givenchy’s Fall/Winter 2023 Men’s Show earlier this week, he revealed that Tyler, The Creator was the main inspiration behind him working with DJ Drama.
“Man. I just feel like to me, the Gangsta Grillz and the whole mixtape culture and scene is what I’m about,” Pusha T said. “That’s the purest form of hip-hop to me. So it’s like the fact that Drama is having so much success, the fact that that’s what I love in hip-hop. I want to merge those worlds and see what happens.”
He added, “I’m going to be honest with you, seeing Drama’s mixtape with Tyler [CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST] and how they won a Grammy, I was like, man, mixtapes really won a Grammy. So I’m trying to be a part of that culture as well.” Read more
David Crosby fans are remembering how he took Drew Barrymore in at 14 and helped her get sober (Today)
Legendary rocker David Crosby passed away at 81 after a long illness, a source confirmed to TODAY.com on Jan. 19. While he was well-known as a founding member of the Byrds, one aspect of his life people may not know about is his friendship with actor Drew Barrymore.
A recent tweet in the wake of the musician’s death that reminded fans of his kindness toward Barrymore started garnering likes and retweets after it was first shared Thursday evening.
“A nice david crosby story: he & his wife took in drew barrymore when she was 14 for a bit. typical america — she was in rehab but her insurance was running out the folks running the place knew crosby & asked them to take her bc she was not ready yet & couldn’t go home safely,” the tweet from user @collectdust read.
Barrymore struggled with drug and alcohol addiction as a preteen after skyrocketing to stardom thanks to her role in “E.T.” She’s shared in the past that her mother facilitated her substance use by treating her more like a friend than a daughter. Read more
Twitter is down to fewer than 550 full-time engineers (CNBC)
Twitter’s full-time headcount has dwindled to approximately 1,300 active, working employees, including fewer than 550 full-time engineers by title, according to internal records viewed by CNBC. Around 75 of the company’s 1,300 employees are on leave including about 40 engineers.
The company’s trust and safety team, which makes policy recommendations, design and product changes with the aim of keeping all of Twitter’s users safe, is down to fewer than 20 full-time employees.
Internal records indicate that there are also about 1,400 non-working employees of Twitter who are still being paid, but are no longer expected to fulfill their old responsibilities at the social media company. Many of them resigned when CEO Elon Musk sent out a “pledge” asking them to commit to “hardcore” work at Twitter 2.0 including long hours.
Under Musk’s management, Twitter has slashed headcount through mass layoffs, other terminations and changes that compelled many to resign, including the end of a work-from-home forever policy that had been put in place under former CEO Jack Dorsey. Read more
Scientists finally discover the cause of lupus (BrighterSide)
An international team of researchers has identified DNA mutations in a gene that senses viral RNA, as a cause of the autoimmune disease lupus, with the finding paving the way for the development of new treatments.
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease which causes inflammation in organs and joints, affects movement and the skin, and causes fatigue. In severe cases, symptoms can be debilitating and complications can be fatal.
There is no cure for the disease, which affects around 50,000 people in the UK, and current treatments are predominantly immune-suppressors which work by dialing down the immune system to alleviate symptoms.
In their study, published in Nature today, the scientists carried out whole genome sequencing on the DNA of a Spanish child named Gabriela, who was diagnosed with severe lupus when she was 7 years old. Such a severe case with early onset of symptoms is rare and indicates a single genetic cause. Read more
Netflix: Reed Hastings steps down but subscribers jump (BBC)
Reed Hastings is stepping down from his role as co-chief executive of Netflix, the firm he helped found more than 25 years ago.
His announcement came as Netflix announced a big rise in subscriber numbers at the end of last year.
With money tight, people were expected to cut back on streaming services.
But Netflix bucked that trend, adding more than seven million new subscribers, far more than analysts expected.
Harry and Meghan’s revelations were a big draw, as was new Addams Family spin-off series Wednesday, and the film Glass Onion. Read more
Norrie knocked out of Australian Open (Guardian)
British men’s number one Cameron Norrie is out of the Australian Open after losing to rising star Jiri Lehecka. Norrie, seeded 11th, had been aiming to knock off another notable career milestone by reaching the last 16 at Melbourne Park for the first time.
He led by two sets to one before Czech Lehecka fought back to win 6-7 (8-10) 6-3 3-6 6-1 6-4 in the third round.
The 27-year-old left-hander was far from his best and needed treatment on his left knee early in the decider.
“I can’t really put my finger on why I wasn’t at my best, he played better than me and better in the bigger moments,” said Norrie. Read more
Domestic League: Elegbeleye cries out over plans to blackmail Minister, IMC (Sun)
The Chairman of the Interim Management Committee in charge of the domestic league, Chief Gbenga Elegbeleye, has come out strongly against plans of some people to blackmail the Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare.
There were plans to release stories to the effect that the IMC collected N1bn from league sponsors while 10 percent of it (N100m) went to sports minister Dare.
At an IMC briefing Elegbeleye described such insinuations as wicked and from blackmailers. Investigations revealed that a top football official based in Nasarawa is one of the people behind the blackmail plot.
The IMC boss said; “This won’t work. Their plans have failed. Such insinuation can only come from a sick mind, a jaundiced mind or a paid blackmailer because there is no N1b naira anywhere. GTI is to raise the money. Read more
Gunners new boy Leandro Trossard set for baptism of fire against United (IrishIndependent)
Mikel Arteta is hoping new recruit Leandro Trossard can hit the ground running and help Arsenal in their Premier League title tilt.
The Gunners landed the 28-year-old Belgium international yesterday, signing him from Brighton for an initial fee of £21 million (€24m).
The move is believed to have been completed in time for Trossard to be available for tomorrow’s crunch visit of Manchester United.
Asked how important that could be as his side look to win the title for the first time since 2004, Arteta replied: “Very important. We have to think short-term, but as well medium- and long-term. He gives us all that. He’s a very intelligent player. When you look at what he’s done in the last few years, he’s a player who fits our way of playing. We are happy to have him. Read more
Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar ”agrees to join Paris Saint-Germain this summer” (DailyMail)
Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar has reportedly agreed to join Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
According to L’Equipe, the centre-back has given PSG a verbal agreement regarding a free transfer.
Skriniar’s Inter Milan contract is set to expire at the end of June, and he could join PSG thereafter.
The 27-year-old previously turned down Inter’s offer of a contract extension. Read more
Korda playing catch-up in prodigious family, with a little help from Agassi (RFI)
Sebastian Korda says he’s “the worst athlete” in his high-achieving sporting family, but with a little help from tennis legend Andre Agassi the rising American is working hard to change the dynamic.
The 22-year-old stunned two-time losing finalist and seventh seed Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open on Friday, weeks after pushing Novak Djokovic to the limit in the Adelaide International final.
Known as Sebi, his composed performances reflect what has been evident for some time — he is on the rise, and with plenty to live up to in the Korda family.
His father Petr is a former world number two who won the Australian Open in 1998 while his mother Regina Rajchrtova was a Czech player who rose to 26 in the world. Read more
Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith: Police crack down on illegal streams (GMS)
British boxing fans are being warned about illegal streaming ahead of Chris Eubank Jr’s fight with Liam Smith.
Eubank and Smith will face each other at the AO Arena, Manchester, on Saturday night.
However fans who illegally stream big fights could face prison if they are caught out as part of a fresh police crackdown.
It comes after local authorities conducted raids against a UK-based illegal streaming service offering entertainment and sports via illegally modified boxes, known as ‘fire sticks’. Read more