COVID-19: More Lagos patients in need of oxygen – Sanwo-Olu (Punch)
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday met behind closed doors with the President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
At the end of the meeting, the governor told State House correspondents how his government is managing the second wave of COVID-19 in the state and how it is trying to rebuild the infrastructure destroyed during the #EndSARS protests.
On COVID-19, the governor regretted that the state remains the epicentre of the virus while noting that the second wave appears more infectious than the first.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed that more patients in the state are in need of oxygen, hence the decision of his government to build 10 oxygen tents. Read more
Lagos targets 90% performance level for 2021 budget (Independent)
The Lagos State Government says it is targeting a performance level of about 90 per cent in its 2021 budget.
The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Sam Egube, said this during a media briefing on the Analysis of the Year 2021 Budget of the Lagos State Government at Alausa, Ikeja.
Egube said that in spite the challenges of COVID-19 and EndSARS protest, the 2020 budget performed at above 80 per cent. Read more
Police arrest carpenter for abducting, slitting throat of 12-year-old (Punch)
The Delta State Police Command said it had launched a manhunt for the abductors of a 12-year-old girl, Blessing Imeh, who was found with a slit throat in Abraka, in the Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Blessing went missing on January 1, 2021, while running an errand for her parents.
However, efforts to find her proved abortive till she was found in a cesspit at the back of their house on Tuesday, January 5, 2021. Read more
#EndSARS: Sanwo-Olu seeks FG’s collaboration on rebuilding Lagos (Independent)
Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday sought collaboration from the Federal Government on rebuilding Lagos State following the aftermath of last year’s #EndSARS protests, hijacked by hoodlums, which led to the destruction of public and private properties and businesses in the state.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said the goal of ensuring Lagos State becomes Nigeria’s investment hub can only be achieved through economic collaboration between the state and the Federal Government.
Speaking to journalists after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, Governor Sanwo-Olu said Lagos State government has started working on how it will make available all that is required by the Lagos State Police Command for the law enforcement agency to be more alive to their responsibilities. Read more
NIMC workers accuse FG of covering up COVID-19 in agency
(Punch)
The National Identity Management Commission officials across the country on Thursday began a strike action over the fear of COVID-19 spread in the agency.
The President of the Association of the Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, NIMC unit, Asekokhai Lucky, in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja, said already the virus had been detected in three officials of the agency at its headquarters.
He said the workers were annoyed because the management of the commission was aware of the development, but kept it from workers, who could have taken necessary precautions to protect themselves. Read more
KWASU resumes Jan 11, to conduct virtual lectures, examinations –Registrar (Independent)
The Management of the Kwara State University (KWASU) Malete, has announced Jan. 11 as the resumption date for the Harmattan Semester of the 2020/2021 Academic Session.
A statement from the Acting Registrar, Mohammed Shuaib, on Thursday, said this was in compliance with the recent directive of the Kwara Government to all tertiary institutions in the state.
Shuaib said students’ registration would start on Jan. 11 over a two-week period in the first instance, with all lectures to be conducted virtually during the period. Read more
EFCC warns against selling of NIN (Guardian)
As Nigerians struggle to acquire the National Identity Number (NIN) from offices of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) across the country, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have disclosed that some unscrupulous persons are cashing in on the excercise to induce enrollees to sell their NIN for a fee.
EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this in Abuja, explained that the buyers of the numbers are also trading with them to persons whose motives are anything but noble.
Clarifying that it is not legal to sell their NIN, Uwujaren warned that they stand the risk of vicarious liability for any act of criminality linked to their NIN. Read more
FG directs reversal of electricity tariff adjustment (Tribune)
The Minister of Power, Mr Saleh Mamman, has directed the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to inform all Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) to revert to tariffs that were applicable in December 2020.
Mr Aaron Artimas, Senior Special Adviser, Media and Communications to the Minister of Power, made this known in a statement in Abuja, on Thursday.
He said that the reversal to the old tariff was to promote a constructive conclusion of the dialogue with the Labour Centres (through the Joint Ad-Hoc Committee). Read more
Marion Ramsey: Police Academy and Broadway star dies at 73 (BBC)
Marion Ramsey, best known for her acting in the American film series Police Academy, has died at the age of 73, her agent has announced.
Her management at Roger Paul Inc told the BBC she died at her Los Angeles home on Thursday morning.
The agency said Ramsey had recently fallen ill, but did not give a cause of death.
Ramsey was adored by fans for her portrayal of the squeaky-voiced Officer Laverne Hooks in Police Academy. Read more
Plastic garbage clogging Serbian dam threatens hydroelectric plant (CBC)
Almost as far as the eye can see, trash spreads out over Serbia’s Potpecko Lake, lapping against the dam that crosses it.
Built up over many years against a backdrop of rolling rural hills, the ocean of plastic now threatens to clog up the dam’s hydroelectric plant, a local activist says, and Serbian authorities have ordered an immediate clean-up.
Activist Sinisa Lakovic estimates the pile of waste covers some 20,000 cubic metres, most of it from landfills upstream along the Lim river. Read more
Brisbane to enter three-day lockdown over single infection (BBC)
The Australian city of Brisbane will enter a snap three-day lockdown after a cleaner in its hotel quarantine system became infected with coronavirus.
Queensland state officials said the cleaner had the highly transmissible UK variant and there were fears it could spread to others.
Brisbane has seen very few cases of the virus beyond quarantined travellers since Australia’s first wave last year. The lockdown is for five populous council areas in the state capital. Read more
Norway probes deaths of two nursing home residents who got Pfizer’s COVID vaccine (NYPost)
Norway has launched an investigation into the deaths of two nursing home residents after they received Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.
The Norwegian Medicines Agency said Tuesday that the deaths occurred “a few days” after they were administered the shot.
“Now the weakest and most vulnerable, who have serious diseases, are vaccinated,” Steinar Madsen, who is the agency’s medical director, said in a statement. Read more
Stella Tennant killed herself after being ‘unwell for some time,’ family says (PageSix)
Former supermodel Stella Tennant killed herself because she “felt unable to go on,” according to her relatives.
The Scottish-born model’s family revealed details about her Dec. 22 death — just days after her 50th birthday — after being “humbled by the outpouring of messages of sympathy,” they told the Telegraph.
“Stella had been unwell for some time. So it is a matter of our deepest sorrow and despair that she felt unable to go on, despite the love of those closest to her,” her family told the UK paper in a statement. Read more
Frozen waterfall collapse kills one in Russia’s far east (BBC)
At least one person has been killed and three others injured after ice collapsed from a frozen waterfall in Russia’s far east.
A rescue crew was sent to the 40m (131ft) tall Vilyuchinsky waterfall in the Kamchatka peninsula after four people became trapped on Thursday.
All were pulled from the ice, and a boy and his father were flown to hospital.
The regional government said the boy was in intensive care with serious injuries. Read more
Fans attacked us, hit a player after S’Leone game –Iwobi (Punch)
Alex Iwobi has revealed that angry fans cracked the Super Eagles bus window after their 4-4 draw against Sierra Leone in a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers played in Benin City, Edo State, last November, The PUNCH reports.
Eagles raced to a 4-0 lead within the opening 30 minutes but the Leone Stars clawed their way back into the game to earn themselves a historic 4-4 draw against the shocked Nigerians.
Iwobi, who scored twice in the encounter, said the point didn’t spare the team from the wrath of the fans.
“I can’t even tell you what happened in the game, I don’t know, it was mad,” Iwobi told Everton’s official website. Read more
Zidane Isolating, After Contact Tests Positive For COVID-19 (Independent)
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane is isolating after a close contact of his tested positive for COVID-19, a Spanish newspaper reported on Thursday.
Real Madrid did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.
The report had it that Zidane learned of the contact testing positive on Thursday morning.
He subsequently did not attend Real Madrid’s training session ahead of Saturday’s La Liga game away to Osasuna. Read more
Tokyo 2020: No guarantee Olympics will go ahead, says IOC’s Pound (BBC)
Dick Pound, the longest serving member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), remains uncertain whether the Tokyo 2020 Games will go ahead.
It comes after organisers said they will be ready to host the rescheduled Games – despite the city declaring a state of emergency over Covid-19.
Pound said: “I can’t be certain because the ongoing elephant in the room would be the surges in the virus.”
The rescheduled Games are set to take place between 23 July and 8 August. Read more
World No. 29 Dayana Yastremska provisionally suspended after positive drugs test (Metro)
Dayana Yastremska has denied she has used performance enhancing drugs after testing positive for an anabolic steroid. Yastremska, the world No. 29 from Ukraine, is one of the highest ranked young players in women’s tennis but has been provisionally suspended after mesterolone metabolite was found in a urine sample on November 24, 2020. The 20-year-old, who ended 2020 on a four match losing streak, said she is ‘astonished and under shock’ at the result and ‘resolutely determined’ to clear her name. Read more
Olympic athletes should get priority access to coronavirus vaccines, IOC’s Dick Pound says (CBC)
In order to safeguard the Tokyo Olympics, athletes must be given priority access to the coronavirus vaccine, says prominent International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound.
The longtime IOC official, who is Canadian, expressed confidence in the ability of the Olympics to proceed in July — when the delayed Summer Games are scheduled to begin — so long as athletes can jump to the front of the COVID-19 vaccine line.
“It’s a decision for each country to make,” Pound told Sky News on Wednesday. “And there will be people saying they are jumping the queue, but I think that is the most realistic way of it going ahead. Read more
Nyantakyi admitted wrongdoing during FIFA ban appeal (BBC)
Former Ghana FA (GFA) president Kwesi Nyantakyi admitted to having breached several codes of Fifa’s ethics when his appeal was heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
Following his appeal, Cas reduced Nyantakyi’s lifetime Fifa ban from football to 15 years while also lowering his fine of $500,000 to $100,000.
Despite having previously denied any wrongdoing, the former Fifa Council member and vice-president of the Confederation of African Football confessed to having broken rules relating to conflict of interest, bribery and corruption, and commission.
“[Nyantakyi] admitted his guilt only on the morning of the final hearing,” Cas wrote in its full grounds, dated April 2020, relating to the decision to reduce his sanction. Read more