Buhari signs June 12 bill (Guardian)
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has signed June 12 bill into law. Senator Ita Enang, presidential aide on National Assembly matters, told state house correspondents that with the assent to the amendment, May 29 is no more a public holiday. President Buhari assented to the Public Holiday Amendment Act, declaring June 12 of every year a public holiday and Democracy Day. Read more
58-year-old food seller electrocuted in Lagos (Punch)
A food seller, Mrs Florence Imoh, 58, was electrocuted at her shop at Ikotun, a Lagos suburb in Igando/Ikotun Local Council Development Area, early on Monday morning. A News Agency of Nigeria correspondent reports that Imoh was discovered by neighbours early on Monday morning lying dead in front of her shop located at 12, Shosanya Street, Ijegun road in Ikotun. Imoh’s neighbour, Mrs Mercy Alomona said she woke up to see the lifeless body of the woman clinging to the metal gates of her shop at around 6:30 a.m. Read more
Petition challenging Buhari’s victory withdrawn (Guardian)
One of four petitions challenging the victory of Nigeria president Muhammadu Buhari during the 2019 presidential election has been withdrawn. The petitioner, Coalition for Change, requested withdrawal of the case through its lawyer, Obed Agwu, at the resumed hearing before the presidential election tribunal on Monday. The withdrawal was not opposed by lawyers of President Buhari, the All Progressives Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Read more
9th NASS: ‘It’ll be unfair to exclude S/East from all arms of govt’ (Nation)
An advocacy group, South East Equity Alliance (SEA) says people from the geopolitocal zone deserve to be in leadership positions in the 9th National Assembly. Mr Amaechi Nwoha, SEA’s Director, Contact and Mobilization made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday. He said it would be grossly unfair for the South-Eastern part of the country not to hold a prominent position in any of the three arms of government. Read more
Boroffice withdraws from race for Deputy Senate President (Guardian)
Sen. Ajayi Boroffice (APC-Ondo), says he has withdrawn from the race for Deputy Senate President of the 9th National Assembly in deference to President Muhammadu Buhari. Mr Kayode Fakuyi, Borrofice’s Press Secretary, made this known in a statement on Monday in Akure. Other contenders for the position are- Mr Ovie Omo-Agege, (Delta Central), Mr Francis Alimikhena, (Edo North) and Orji Kali, (Abia North). “Some weeks ago, distinguished Sen. Ajayi Boroffice, declared his intention, to seek the office of Deputy Senate President. Read more
Why we’re probing Sanusi, by Kano anti-graft agency (Nation)
The Chairman, Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Barrister Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado on Monday declared that the commission was acting on petitions and complaints by concerned citizens of the state over alleged financial misappropriation by Kano emirate council under emir Muhammadu Sanusi II. He also added that the commission was not under the influence of any person or group on the ongoing investigation. Read more
Bauchi governor swears in SSG, chief of staff, deputy (Punch)
Alhaji Mohammed Baba, who was recently appointed by the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, as the Secretary to the State Government, has been sworn in. Also sworn in were Abubakar Kari as the Chief of Staff to Governor and Bashir Yau as the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Deputy Governor. The swearing in was performed by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Rabi Umar, who was represented by Justice Adamu Kafin Madaki, at an event held at the Government House, Bauchi on Monday. Read more
Ihedioha’s vision on environmental management will mitigate disaster in Imo — NEMA (Guardian)
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said Gov. Emeka Ihedioha’s vision and policies on environmental management will mitigate emergency occurrences in Imo. Mr Evans Ugoh, the Head of Imo/Abia Operations Office of NEMA, said this on Monday during a Disaster Management Stakeholders workshop organised by the agency in Owerri. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Emeka Ihedioha had during this year’s World Environment Day celebration announced a ban of dredging activities at Nworie River. Read more
JAMB releases 15,490 withheld results (Punch)
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has said that it has released the withheld results of 15,490 candidates, who participated at its April 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. The board made the disclosure in a statement signed by the board’s Head of Media and Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin, on Monday in Lagos State. It said that the results released on Saturday were part of the 34,120 it withheld while announcing the release of the results on May 11. Read more
Airline official killed while fixing car by roadside (Guardian)
Members of the Iwarah family and witnesses to the motor accident that claimed the life of Air Peace spokesman and journalist, Mr. Christian Iwarah, on Friday have accused the Dopemu Police Division of doing a shoddy investigation into the matter. Iwarah, who until his death was General Manager, Corporate Communications of Air Peace Airline, got his life abruptly cut short on Friday afternoon when a long passenger bus rammed into him at Dopemu area of Agege Motor Road, Lagos. Read more
Police nab four over alleged murder, cultism in Ekiti (Punch)
The police in Ekiti State have arrested four suspects in connection with alleged murders, cult activities, illegal possession of drugs and acts capable of causing a breach of public peace. Police Commissioner, Mr Asuquo Amba, said in Ado Ekiti on Monday that the suspects were arrested in different locations in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, and Oye Ekiti. Read more
Botswana to rule on scrapping anti-gay laws (Guardian)
Botswana could decriminalise gay sex on Tuesday when its high court is due to rule in a landmark case being watched across Africa after Kenya recently upheld its own anti-homosexuality laws. Homosexual acts are outlawed in Botswana — one of Africa’s most stable, democratic nations — under the country’s penal code of 1965. An unnamed applicant is challenging two sections of the code that threaten offenders with a jail sentence of up to seven years. Read more
California to be first state to provide healthcare to undocumented immigrants (BBC)
California is poised to become the first US state to offer government-provided healthcare to some immigrants who are in the country illegally. State Democrats agreed on Sunday that adults between the ages of 19 to 25 should have access to Medi-Cal, the state’s low-income insurance programme. The measure must still be approved by the full legislature and be signed by the state’s Democratic governor. Read more
Japanese pilot ‘lost spatial awareness’ in F-35A stealth fighter crash (BBC)
It is highly likely that a Japanese F-35A stealth fighter jet that crashed into the Pacific Ocean did so because the pilot lost “spatial awareness”, officials said. The Lockheed Martin aircraft disappeared from radar screens during an exercise on 9 April. Some debris and the remains of the 41-year-old pilot have been discovered. Read more
It sounds like Toy Story 4 is going to be the most emotional one yet (Metro)
The voice behind Woody, Tom Hanks, says his final scenes in Disney Pixar’s Toy Story 4 are ‘pretty profound’. Hanks, who has voiced cowboy doll Woody since the first Toy Story film in 1995, has admitted he couldn’t face anyone else while he was recording his final moments of the popular animation. It has been over 20 years since the 62-year-old actor initially played Woody in Pixar’s first ever feature-length film. Read more
U-20 World Cup: Nigeria failed to prepare, says FA member (Guardian)
Godwin Bamigboye, board member of FCT Football Association (FA), says the woeful performance of the Flying Eagles of Nigeria in the ongoing U-20 World Cup in Poland was was due to failure of the team to prepare adequately for the tournament. Bamigboye said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday while reviewing the performance of Nigeria and two other African countries in the tournament. He said that football preparation should not be done in a hurry but with commitment and all seriousness for great results. Read more
Africa Cup of Nations: SA coach Stuart Baxter bemoans ‘last minute’ plans (BBC)
South Africa headed to Dubai on Monday for the last part of their Africa Cup of Nations preparations. However, coach Stuart Baxter has been left unhappy with the way the South Africa Football Association (Safa) has organised the team’s build-up. Initially he felt his side did not have enough warm-up games but was then left annoyed with a last minute friendly organised by Safa. Read more
England want more than semi-final finishes, says Southgate (Punch)
England has reached the semi-finals of the last two major championships but manager Gareth Southgate says missing out on the World Cup and Nations League final has left the squad deeply unsatisfied. England’s shootout win over Switzerland on Sunday saw them finish UEFA’s inaugural Nations League in third place, one spot better than the 2018 World Cup when they were beaten by Belgium in the bronze medal game. Read more
Harry Maguire: Manchester United still want Leicester City defender (BBC)
Manchester United are continuing to show interest in Leicester’s England defender Harry Maguire, even though the Foxes have no wish to sell the player. United backed away from talks last summer as they felt the 26-year-old’s £70m price-tag was excessive. However, with United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer keen to bolster his central defensive options this summer, Maguire remains on the club’s radar. Read more
Gnabry fuels Sane rumours ahead of Estonia clash (Punch)
Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry said on Monday he would ‘love’ to see Germany teammate and Manchester City star Leroy Sane join him at Allianz Arena. “I would love to have him at Bayern. I am having fun playing with him and he would be an improvement for our team,” Gnabry, 23, told reporters ahead of Germany’s Euro 2020 qualifier with Estonia on Tuesday. Sane, also 23, has been heavily linked with a transfer to Bayern in recent weeks, having reportedly grown frustrated with a lack of game time under Pep Guardiola at City. Read more
Turkey slams Iceland over airport ‘disrespect’ to football team (Guardian)
Turkish officials vehemently criticised Iceland on Monday over “disrespectful” treatment of its football team at Reykjavik airport. The team was kept waiting for several hours at passport control on Sunday night and subjected to intense security checks, according to reports from the players published by Turkish media. Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin took to Twitter to show his anger, slamming the “disrespect” against the national team as “unacceptable”. Read more
Aston Villa sign winger El Ghazi on permanent deal from Lille (Punch)
Aston Villa have announced the signing of winger Anwar El Ghazi from Lille on a four-year deal after his successful loan spell at Villa Park last season, the newly-promoted Premier League club said on Monday. Netherlands international El Ghazi scored Villa’s opening goal in their 2-1 victory over Derby County in the Championship play-off final last month. The 24-year-old, who will join the Midlands club for an undisclosed fee, finished the campaign with six goals in 37 appearances in all competitions. Read more
Tyson Fury tells Anthony Joshua to retire if he loses to Andy Ruiz Jr. again (Metro)
Tyson Fury believes Anthony Joshua should hang up his gloves if he fails to win his rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr. and says he will retire himself if he can’t beat Tom Schwarz. The Gypsy King makes his return to the ring on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas against his unfancied German opponent and won’t be taking anything for granted after Joshua was stunned by Ruiz at Madison Square Garden. Read more
Djokovic stays top, ahead of Nadal in ATP rankings (Punch)
New French Open winner Rafael Nadal remains second in the men’s tennis rankings released on Monday by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), behind Novak Djokovic. The leading eight positions are unchanged, with French Open losing finalist Dominic Thiem fourth behind Roger Federer. Djokovic and Federer were losing semi-finalists in Paris. Read more
