COVID: Infected passengers have been seeking to board flights, Lagos airport manager raises alarm (DailyTrust)
The Manager of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, Mrs. Victoria Shin-Aba, has raised the alarm over how passengers with COVID-19 positive PCR test results have been boarding flights.
Shin-Aba, who also doubles as the Regional Manager, South West Airports, frowned at the development, describing it as a challenge to officials at the airport.
Nigeria records 4,035 fresh COVID cases, highest ever single-day toll
Fresh crisis looms as UAE bars Nigerian travellers over Omicron
Speaking with newsmen in Lagos, the MMIA Airport Manager lamented that despite warning that persons who tested positive for COVID-19 should isolate and stay indoors for treatment, they have been seen roaming around in public places and interacting with others.
Shin-Aba disclosed that they were always in contact with the authorities of Port Health Services and had held meetings regarding the matter.
She said, “People with positive COVID test still come to the Airport to board, I don’t know for whatever reason; they know with this they can’t travel but they still bring it but definitely they are not allowed to travel.”Read more
Lagos describes planned takeover of Magodo illegal (Guardian)
Lagos State government, yesterday, described the enforcement of judgment by Shangisha Landlords Association for the takeover of lands within Magodo area of the state as illegal, enjoining the general public to remain calm, especially residents of Magodo Residential Area.
In a statement, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, said while investigation into the unwarranted incident is being carried out with a view to prosecuting any person found culpable, the government has the high regard for the rule of law and will protect the interests of all parties.
“On December 21, it was reported through social media platforms that the Shangisha Landlords Association with stern-looking policemen took over the Magodo area of Lagos State in purported execution of a Supreme Court judgment.
“The Lagos State government has equally observed that the execution was carried out by unknown bailiffs as the Sheriff of the High Court of Lagos where the Judgment emanated was not responsible for the purported execution carried out on the 21st December 2021 at Magodo. Read more
Divorce: We’re probing possible hacking of Olori Naomi’s Instagram page, says Ooni’s palace (Punch)
The palace of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, says it is probing possible hacking of Olori Naomi’s Instragam page.
It denied knowledge of the report that the marriage between the monarch and his wife has ended.
Olori Naomi had announced through her social media handles on Thursday that her marriage to Ogunwusi has ended.
But in his first official reaction to the claim, the Director of Media and Strategy, Ooni’s palace, Moses Olafare, said as of Wednesday evening, Ogunwusi and Naomi went to bed as husband and wife.
According to him, separation in marriage cannot be done by one of the parties, stressing that probe will be launched into whether or not Instagram page of Naomi was hacked. Read more
Sanwo-Olu tasked on basic amenities in Oworonshoki (Vanguard)
Residents of Oworonshoki have called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to address the basic needs of the community with a sense of urgency.
In a statement, the Publicity Secretary, Towolawi Jamiu, noted that the community needs to include: Potable water, good and accessible roads, good drainage system, standard public primary and secondary school, decent market, and free prepaid meter in the community.
The group in their demand called on the Lagos State government to look into “Construction of boreholes to ease water supply in the community. The Local and State Government should fix at least ten roads in Oworonshoki. Construction of primary drainage channels to stop flooding in the community. Build a new public secondary school. Construction of an affordable market. Provide free prepaid metres and increase power supply. Connect our community to substations at Berger and Iyana Oworo”. Read more
Lagos begins coroner’s inquest into pupils’ killing by trailer (Punch)
A ccoroner’s inquest into the death of two pupils of Ojodu Grammar School (Babs Fafunwa Millennium School), who were killed by a driver, began on Thursday.
PUNCH Metro had reported that a truck driver on December 7 crushed pupils of the school on Ogunnusi Road, Grammar School Bus-Stop.
The victims were going home after closing from school around 2pm when the truck ran over them.
The police, in a statement, said two of the victims were confirmed dead and 12 others injured, adding that the truck driver was arrested.
The coroner’s inquest, headed by Magistrate Peju Ogunsanya, was held at the Lagos State Magistrates’ Court, Ogba. Read more
2023: Osinbajo is the best for Nigeria, says IBB (DailyTrust)
Former Military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has endorsed Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, for the 2023 presidency.
The elder statesman endorsed him when the Osinbajo Grassroots Organisation visited him at his Hilltop residence in Minna, Niger capital, on Thursday.
He asked Osinbajo to be resilient and contest the Presidency in 2023.
“I know the Vice-president very well. He is a good man. A man who has conviction about Nigeria; a man who can communicate with the country and inspire people. Such a man is worthy person to work with. We need good man to lead Nigeria.”
“A man who has passion for this country. Nigeria is a good country; the people of Nigeria are good . You must learn to understand people and constant discussion is key. Read more
Zamfara commissioner resigns, takes appointment as commissioner in Imo (Sun)
Zamfara State Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Hajiya Rabi Shinkafi, has resigned her appointment to take up another commissionership appointment in Imo State.
“I resigned my appointment as commissioner in Zamfara to enable me to pick another appointment as commissioner in Imo,’’ Shinkafi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gusau on yesterday.
“I am immensely grateful to Governor Bello Matawalle and his Wife, Hajiya Aisha Matawalle, for their kindness to me and for giving me the opportunity to serve Zamfara in different capacities. All the speculations in the social media about my resignation are completely false; it was just work of mischief makers. I have a perfect and cordial relationship with the governor and his wife. I consider them as my family and they were in the picture of my going to Imo.
“Both Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo and Matawalle discussed it as fellow All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and as friends too,’’ Shinkafi said. Read more
Nollywood veteran actor, Sam Obiago, dies (Guardian)
Another Nollywood actor, filmmaker and the chairman of Screen Writers Guild of Nigeria (SWGN), Sam Obiago is dead.
This was disclosed by some of his colleagues who took to social media to express their shock. According to one of the colleagues, “He has been ill for a while now. So yesterday he started feeling very ill and he was rushed to the hospital at midnight. He gave up in the early hours of today.”
Obiago is a Nigerian born Nollywood actor, film maker, TV personality and movie producer who has featured in over 100 Nollywood movies.
He has featured in the following Nollywood movies, Gifted, Tears Of A King, Woman Of Fire, Ghana Island, Royal Turning Point, Royal Appointment, Bargain, Combined Forces, Altar Of Love, Wishes, Ancient Love, Drunk Princess, The Missing Blood, Obed And Ruth, The Visitor, Osinachi, One Night Stand, Throne Of Fire, Ancient Key, Wicked Tradition, Tortured Heart, Royal Wreck, The King’s Decision, Blood Brothers, The Orbit, Strength Of Womanhood, Battle Of Kings, Royal Headache, Another Life, Game Of War, Jacob’s House. Read more
Latter-Day Saints hold Christmas carol with interfaith worship (Sun)
The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) Ojodu Stake in Lagos at the weekend held an inter- faith Christmas carol with a theme: “Come unto Christ through music.”
The occasion was electrified with presentations from choristers from other denominations including the Choir of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ojodu Stake.
Director of Area Communications Council for the church, Ikpe Nkanang, urged participants to also join in The Latter-Day Saints Annual Light The World Christmas Initiative. He said the theme for the 2021 celebration was “Light The World with Love.”
He said the essence of the programme was to encourage humanity to love God and their neighbours as commanded by the Almighty God. Read more
Parents spark debate after making son hold ‘I am a bully’ sign on busy road (NYPost)
It was like a modern day scarlet lettering.
Florida parents have split the always-vocal critics of social media after making their son stand by the road while holding a sign identifying him as a “bully.”
A clip of the seeming medieval-inspired punishment currently boasts 4.9 million views and more than 1 million responses on TikTok.
The now-viral video — first posted last week by TikTok user @usert0c8co0flo — shows a young boy standing by the side of a busy road while holding a sign that reads “I am a bully. Honk if you hate bullies.”
Meanwhile, a man and a woman — presumably the boy’s parents — can be seen sitting nonchalantly in lounge chairs, seemingly supervising the child’s public shaming. Read more
Daunte Wright death: US ‘Taser mix-up’ ex-officer guilty of manslaughter (BBC)
A veteran former Minnesota police officer has been found guilty of manslaughter for the fatal shooting of a black motorist in April.
Kim Potter, 49, has claimed she mistakenly drew her gun instead of a Taser and killed 20-year old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop.
His death occurred at a time of high tensions, with the trial over George Floyd’s murder taking place nearby.
Ms Potter’s sentencing has been scheduled for 18 February.
Over the course of four days, the 12 jurors deliberated for approximately 27 hours before reaching a decision. Read more
4th woman accuses Chris Noth of sexual assault (PageSix)
A fourth woman came forward Thursday to accuse “Sex and the City” actor Chris Noth of sexual assault, this time over an alleged incident in 2002.
New York singer Lisa Gentile claimed Noth accosted her sexually in her apartment after giving her a ride home from the eatery Da Marino in Midtown, then threatened to ruin her career if she ever spoke out.
“I was afraid to come forward because Mr. Noth’s power and his threats to ruin my career,” Gentile said at a press conference with her attorney, Gloria Allred.
The singer-songwriter said that she had first met him there in 1998 because he was a “regular there and good friends with the owner Pasquale Marino.” Read more
UK: Omicron variant has 50%-70% less hospitalization rate (DW)
The omicron variant of the coronavirus is less likely to land patients in hospital in comparison with delta.
Preliminary data published by Britain’s public health agency suggests that people with the omicron variant of the coronavirus are between 50% and 70% less likely to end up in hospital than those with the delta variant.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) cautioned that its analysis was “preliminary and highly uncertain” due to the small number of omicron patients in hospitals and the fact that most were in younger age groups.
‘Encouraging’
Nevertheless, UKHSA Chief Executive Jenny Harries said it was “an encouraging early signal that people who contract the omicron variant may be at a relatively lower risk of hospitalization than those who contract other variants.”
“However, it should be noted both that this is early data and more research is required to confirm these findings,” she said. Read more
Joan Didion: US literary icon dies at 87 (BBC)
Joan Didion, a literary icon who chronicled 60s and 70s US culture, with screenwriting credits including 1976 film A Star Is Born, has died aged 87.
The incisive US novelist and essayist examined the fragmentation of US life in books like 1968’s Slouching Towards Bethlehem and 1979’s The White Album.
Her Pulitzer Prize-winning The Year of Magical Thinking mined her own grief following the death of her husband.
She died of Parkinson’s disease, her publisher, Knopf, told the BBC.
“We tell ourselves stories in order to live,” Didion once wrote, and she spoke of the act of writing more astutely than perhaps anyone else.
She was revered by legions of young and aspiring writers for her cool, terse and distinctive voice. Read more
No place to pray: Muslim worshippers under pressure in India (France24)
Dinesh Bharti drives around with other activists on Fridays heckling and harassing Muslims praying outside in Gurgaon, the latest flashpoint of sectarian tensions under India’s Hindu nationalist government.
Muslims praying in the open “create problems in the country and the entire world,” the thickset Hindu man in his 40s said, a red tilak on his forehead marking him out as a devout member of India’s majority religion.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election in 2014 emboldened hardline groups who see India as a Hindu nation and its 200 million-strong Muslim minority as potentially dangerous outsiders.
Gurgaon is a modern satellite city of the capital New Delhi. Around 500,000 Muslims either live there, have migrated to the area for work or labour there during the day. Read more
South Korea pardons former President Park Geun-hye (DW)
South Korea’s Justice Ministry said on Friday that former President Park Geun-hye had been pardoned. Park had been imprisoned over corruption charges.
South Korea’s first elected female leader is also the daughter of late authoritarian Park Chung-hee.
Her predecessor Lee Myung-bak, also serving a jail term for corruption charges, has not been pardoned.
Why was Park pardoned?
South Korea’s Justice Minister Park Beom-kye said that the former president’s “pardon was granted to heal social conflicts and restore the local community.”
Supporters and politicians of the opposition People Power party have been calling for Park’s pardon ahead of the March presidential election. Read more
Minister aware of NFF’s search for new foreign coach for Eagles (Guardian)
Sports Minister, Chief Sunday Dare, may have given the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) the go ahead to appoint a new foreign coach for the Super Eagles.
NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, had told journalists in Lagos on Wednesday that the Federation was planning to appoint a new foreign coach that will lead the Super Eagles to Cameroun 2022 African Nations Cup, which is less than three weeks to its kick off. According to Pinnick, discussion between the NFF and the new coach have reached an advanced stage.
Special Assistant, Multimedia, to the Sports Minister, Toyin Ibitoye, told The Guardian yesterday that Dare is aware of NFF plans to hire a new foreign coach for the senior national team.
“The Honourable Sports Minister is aware,” Ibitoye said, while responding to a question from The Guardian. Read more
After jumping 32 spots in FIFA rankings, Canadian men named most improved side (CBC)
After jumping 32 places to No. 40 in the FIFA rankings over the course of 2021, Canada has earned the title of this year’s “Most Improved Side.”
The Canadian men were rewarded for gaining 130.32 points in FIFA’s ranking system over the last 12 months, fuelled by success in World Cup qualifying and reaching the semifinals of the Gold Cup.
Canada remains unchanged at No. 40, its highest-ever position, in the December rankings released Thursday. John Herdman’s team had climbed eight places in the November list.
The Canadian men also hit No. 40 in December 1996. FIFA, which starting the rankings in 1992, revamped its rating formula in 2018. Read more
Osimhen can’t certify self fit, says Amuneke (Punch)
Former Super Eagles coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, insists Napoli’s doctors must certify striker Victor Osimhen fit for the Africa Cup of Nations, and not the player declaring himself fit to play at the tournament.
The AFCON is scheduled to start on January 9 to February 6 2022, in Cameroon.
Osimhen had been initially ruled out of the AFCON, scheduled for January 9 to February 6, 2022 in Cameroon, after he suffered multiple fractures in his face following a clash with Inter defender Milan Skriniar on November 21.
Despite initial suggestions that the striker would be out for 90 days after his surgery, Osimhen on Tuesday announced on Twitter that he would be available for the tournament, to the delight of fans. Read more
Ramos sent off as Icardi salvages a draw for PSG at Lorient (RFI)
Ligue 1 pacesetters Paris Saint-Germain scrambled a last gasp draw at second-from-bottom Lorient on Wednesday night after the Spanish hard-man defender Sergio Ramos was dismissed.
The league leaders were trailing 1-0 at the Stade du Moustoir when star summer signing Ramos was sent off in the 85th minute for his second bookable offence on only his second appearance for PSG since arriving from Real Madrid.
Nevertheless Mauro Icardi headed home Achraf Hakimi’s cross from the right in stoppage time to cancel out Thomas Monconduit’s first-half strike.
The beleaguered Bretons looked to be on course for only their fourth win of the campaign when Ramos was given his marching orders. Read more
COVID complicates Asian football’s fight against match-fixing (DW)
Asian football in particular has long had a match-fixing problem. While some progress had been made in fighting the crime in recent years, the arrival of COVID-19 has made it easier for match-fixers to do business.
For years, Asia has been known around the world as a hotspot for match-fixing in football. Especially in Southeast Asia, a region of around 650 million people that stretches from India in the west to China in the East, there are few leagues that haven’t had a scandal or two.
Malaysia has been fighting to shake off the scourge of match-fixing since football was rocked by a major scandal in the early 1990s. In 2017 in Laos, 22 players and officials received life bans by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Just last month, the Football Association of Malaysia confirmed it was investigating two games played in October.
Low salaries that aren’t always reliably paid provide fertile ground for gambling gangs based in Southeast Asia and elsewhere to persuade players, coaches or officials to help produce a specific outcome in a game. Read more
Pele: Brazil legend discharged from hospital (BBC)
Brazil legend Pele has been discharged from hospital after undergoing treatment for a colon tumour.
The three-time World Cup winner, 81, had surgery to remove the tumour in September, with the hospital saying at the time he would also need to have chemotherapy.
Sao Paulo’s Hospital Albert Einstein said Pele was “stable” and would “continue treatment”.
Pele is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 77 goals in 92 games.
He had been having treatment at the hospital since 31 August after the tumour was detected in routine tests. Read more
Olympic diver Ian Matos dead at 32 from lung infection (NYPost)
Ian Matos, a Brazilian diver who competed in the 2016 Olympics, has died at 32 from a lung infection.
According to The Sun, Matos had been hospitalized for two months. He initially sought treatment for a throat infection, which ultimately spread to his stomach and lungs.
“We are profoundly saddened to have received the news of the premature death of the Olympic diver Ian Matos, aged just 32,” Brazil’s Olympic Committee said in a statement. “Team Brazil acknowledges his contribution to the evolution of the discipline. Our sincere condolences to his family and friends.”
É com profundo pesar que recebemos a triste notícia do prematuro falecimento do saltador olímpico Ian Matos, de 32 anos. O Time Brasil agradece toda a sua contribuição para a evolução da modalidade. Read more