Sunday, January 20, 2019
Buhari, best choice for Nigeria, says Ambode (Punch)
Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has said President Muhammadu Buhari is the best among the presidential candidates jostling to rule Nigeria.
The governor said Buhari was the only one, who could fight insecurity and address infrastructural decay which characterised the nation before he assumed office in 2015.
Ambode said this in an interview with journalists in Kaduna after the All Progressives Congress presidential rally held at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium. Read more
Sanwo-Olu unveils five pillars of development for Lagos (Independent)
The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has unveiled five pillars of development to take the state to the next level.
They include traffic management, health and environment, education and technology, entertainment and tourism and making Lagos a 21st century economy. Read more
Police, Army, others in show of force in Lagos (Independent)
In preparation for the forthcoming general elections, the police, army and other security agencies on Saturday patrolled major highways in Lagos metropolis in a show of force.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the operation, which was divided into five groups, was led by the state Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal and other heads of security agencies.
Addressing journalists after the operation, Edgal said that the show of force was to demonstrate to residents the readiness of the security agencies for the elections. Read more
Obasanjo to Buhari: Go home peacefully (Nation)
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday urged Nigerians to appreciate President Muhammad Buhari for the little he has done in the last three years and eight months and allow him to go home peacefully.
Obasanjo added that Nigerians should also summon the courage to tell themselves the country deserves better at this critical time than what Buhari is capable of offering.
The elder statesman who made this known while addressing the press at his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, also declared that the nation “needs a man with better physical and mental soundness, with an active mind and intellect” to pilot its affairs. Read more
Cold threatens life, businesses in Dutse (Vanguard)
Excessive cold due to harmattan weather has become a source of concern to the people of Dutse, the Jigawa capital.
Excessive cold Investigation by newsmen on Sunday in Dutse revealed that the cold weather had forced people indoors, crippling commercial and social activities in the metropolis and environs.
Most shops remained shut while only few passengers were sighted at motor parks. Many civil servants had also reported late at their offices last week as a result of the cold weather. Read more
Alaba traders move against substandard goods (Vanguard)
The Alaba International Market Association has embarked on a raid to rid the market of substandard electronic products.
The Public Relations Officer of the association, Mr. Eugene Obiezu, said that the exercise was aimed at curbing the inflow of substandard goods to the market.
According to Obiezu, the association is poised to stamp out activities of some notorious traders who imported substandard goods. Read more
PenCom to attract 60m enrolees, N3trn growth (Vanguard)
The National Pension Commission (PenCom) is set to attract 60 million Nigerians in the informal sector to the pension scheme and hit N3 trillion assets growth.
PenCom said the extension of the pension scheme to the informal sector was to ensure that all Nigerians have a good life at old age.
The Head, Research and Corporate Strategy of the commission, Dr Aminu Farouk, said in Lagos that the set of Nigerians would be attracted through micro pension scheme. Read more
Election spending may worsen inflation outlook (ThisDay)
As inflation continued its upward trajectory in December, experts predict a further rise particularly as the general elections draw closer, reports James Emejo
Fueled by increases in consumer prices including food and services, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which gauges inflation, increased to 11.44 per cent (year-on-year) in December 2018 compared to 11.28 per cent in the preceding month.
The 0.16 percentage points increase from November estimates resulted from increases recorded in all the divisions that determine the headline index. Read more
World Bank executes 62 community development projects in Borno (Vanguard)
The World Bank-assisted Community and Social Development Programme (CSDP) executed 62 social and economic development projects in Borno in 2018, Alhaji Ciroma Musa, the programme’s manager, has said.
Musa told newsmen on Sunday in Maiduguri that the projects were executed in 30 selected communities in Dikwa, Chibok and Mobbar Local Government Councils.
He said that the projects covered the provision of water, health, education, environment, shelter and livelihood support in the participating councils. Read more
Sex education rules could force Haredi Jews into home schooling (Guardian)
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish parents and teachers are warning that schools may go underground and children be educated at home if the government presses ahead with guidance on teaching about same-sex relationships and gender reassignment.
Members of the Haredi, or ultra-Orthodox, community also say that some parents may leave the country rather than see their children taught about “alternative lifestyles”. Read more
Novel system can produce electricity, fuel from CO2 (FinancialExpress)
Scientists have developed a system that can produce electricity and hydrogen fuel from carbon dioxide — the main contributor of global warming. The Hybrid Na-CO2 system can continuously produce electrical energy and hydrogen through efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion with stable operation for over 1,000 hours, researchers said.
“Carbon capture, utilisation, and sequestration (CCUS) technologies have recently received a great deal of attention for providing a pathway in dealing with global climate change,” said Guntae Kim, from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea. Read more
Man injects own semen into arm to cure ‘back pain’ (Sun)
Semen can do wonders when it comes to the creation of life. That doesn’t mean it can cure bodily discomfort.
One man thought it would be a good idea to inject himself with his own semen in an effort to cure his back pain.
In a case published in the Irish Medical Journal, an unnamed 33-year-old man was admitted to a Dublin, Ireland hospital with noticeable swelling in his right forearm. Read more
Super Falcons Claim 4-1 Victory Over Romania (Independent)
The Super Falcons on Sunday defeated their Romanian counterparts 4-1 in a Four-Nation Invitational Tournament in China.
A total of 7,319 fans were at the Wuhua Olympic Sports Stadium to watch both teams slug it out in the third-place match of the tournament.
The African champions had lost 0-3 to hosts China on Thursday, while the same scoreline was recorded in Romania’s loss to South Korea. Read more
How annual polo tournament is attracting tourists to Plateau (Leadership)
The annual polo tournament in Jos is no doubt making Plateau State more attractive to tourists. Achor Abimaje relives the experience of this year’s event.
The people of Jos, the Plateau state capital and its environs and lovers of polo game will not forget in a hurry the week- long annual Jos polo tournament that took place at the General Hassan Usman Katsina Polo ground, Jos.
Hundreds of families in and around Jos thronged to the General Hassan Usman Katsina Polo ground during the Christmas and new year celebrations, to watch the weeklong event and to watch the popular polo player, Hamisu Buba in action alongside other polo players. Read more
Manny Pacquiao overwhelms Adrien Broner in play for Mayweather rematch (Guardian)
Manny Pacquiao showed Saturday night he’s still got plenty of fight for a fighter on the wrong side of 40.
Whether Pacquiao’s dominating win over Adrien Broner gets him a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, though, is a question that will have to be answered another night.
With Mayweather watching from ringside, Pacquiao showed flashes of his old speed in winning a unanimous 12-round decision over Broner to easily defend his piece of the welterweight title. Read more
Maurizio Sarri says Chelsea’s players are ‘extremely difficult to motivate’ (Guardian)
Maurizio Sarri launched a stinging attack on his Chelsea players’ mentality after a meek defeat to Arsenal, accusing them of being “extremely difficult to motivate” and lacking “ferocity” in their game.
For the first time since taking over at Stamford Bridge six months ago, Sarri felt compelled to revert to his native Italian and lean on an interpreter to express his exasperation at a defeat which means Chelsea’s lead over Arsenal and Manchester United has been cut to only three points. Read more
Jo Pavey, 45, targets record sixth Olympic Games at Tokyo 2020 (BBC)
British runner Jo Pavey is targeting a record-equalling sixth Olympic Games next year, when she will be 46.
That would match javelin thrower Tessa Sanderson’s six Olympic appearances by a British track and field athlete.
Pavey was the oldest woman to win a European Championships gold when claiming the 10,000m title in 2014 aged 40, just 11 months after giving birth.
“I forget how old I am. I’m not complacent but I will attempt to make my sixth Olympics,” she told BBC Sport. Read more
Gonzalo Higuain mega deal revealed – top five paid Premier League stars (DailyStar)
Gonzalo Higuain will be among the Premier League’s top five earners when he finally signs for Chelsea this week. The Juventus hitman, 31, will join the Blues on loan until the end of the season in a deal worth £270,000-a-week.
And that £5.4million personal package will put Higuain near the top of the individual money charts in English football. The South American ace will replace Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku at No.5 – just behind Kevin de Bruyne of Manchester City, who earns £10k a week more. Read more
Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool boss hails ‘important’ 60-point milestone (BBC)
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp described his side reaching 60 points as an “important number” after they beat Crystal Palace to move seven points clear at the top of the table.
Only defending champions Manchester City (2017-18) and Chelsea (2005-06) have amassed more Premier League points than the Reds after 23 games.
“The result is massive. We have 60 points now, it’s crazy,” Klopp said after Saturday’s thriller at Anfield. Read more
Maria Sharapova can win Australian Open if Serena Williams quits – Wilander (TennisWorld)
The seven-time Grand Slam winner Mats Wilander believes Maria Sharapova has high chances to win a Grand Slam title again at the Australian Open, but they would decrease if she had to face Serena Williams, who defeated her 19 times out of 22 in career.
Commenting on Eurosport the Sharapova’s win over Wozniacki, Wilander said: ‘She is better in defending but not attacking. She is not comfortable going forward, taking the ball on the rise as good as Sharapova. I thought it was possible that Wozniacki was too good and Sharapova too rusty and not comfortable. Read more