#EndSARS: Cleric tasks Sanwo-Olu on compensation for victims (Sun)
A call has gone to the Lagos State Government to include the families of victims of #EndSARS protest in its compensation package.
The call was made, Friday, by Chairman of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, Apostle Joseph Adagba, during the end-of-year Christmas Outreach 2020 organised in collaboration with the Lagos State Public Service Christian Fellowship and the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa.
While commending Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for fulfilling his promise to compensate the families of policemen lynched during the protest, Apostle Adagba also pleaded for extension of the same gesture to individuals genuinely affected by the activities of the hoodlums. Read more
Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat, Tinubu, Fashola, others pay tribute to Late state house Imam (Guardian)
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has described the late Chief Imam of the State House, Imam Ismail Adejare Tijani as a dedicated Muslim scholar and passionate religious leader with a gift of the Islamic scripture.
The Governor stated this while paying tribute on behalf of his family and the good people of Lagos State at the eight-day Fidau prayer, held at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Lagos Secretariat Community Central Mosque, Alausa, Ikeja, yesterday.
In the tribute presented on his behalf by his Special Adviser on Islamic Matters, Hon. Ahmed Abdullahi Jebe, the governor said in his personal encounter with the late Imam, he saw a man that was dogged in his belief of the oneness of Allah, adding that Tijani’s sermons during congregation prayers he led in the Lagos House Mosque, Marina, were always about the good above evil. Read more
How we were deceived, lured to Ogun baby factories –Pregnant teenagers (Punch)
There were tears in the eyes of Favour, a 17-year-old mother, who betrayed her emotions as she narrated her experience in a baby factory – usually an illegal facility housing pregnant women, sometimes against their will, and offering their babies for sale.
“I slept off after I gave birth to my baby and when I woke up, I could not find my child beside me. When I asked about the whereabouts of my newborn baby, a sum of N100,000 was sent to me,” she said, her voice cracking.
Favour and five others shared a similar fate at the baby factories where they were found in Abaren village, Ofada, and on Lagos Street, Mowe in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of the state, both in Ogun State. Read more
Lagos moves to upturn over 50 percent fish production deficit (Guardian)
To bridge the over 50 per cent fish production deficit in Lagos State, the state government has pledged support for stakeholders to increase their production capacity.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya, at a briefing on the 2020 Lagos Seafood Festival slated for December 13, 2020, said the state is producing over 174,000 metric tons of fish with demand of over 400,000 metric tons meaning there is a deficit.
“There is a huge deficit of 226,000 metric tons every year. By 2021, we should increase the fish production by 50,000/ 60,000 metric tons,” she said.
Olusanya added that artisanal fishery contributes over 70 per cent of the 174,000 metric tons, which means there is need to focus more on them to increase their production capacity. Read more
Lagos By-Election: Abiru clears all 19 wards in Ikorodu (Sun)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of Saturday’s Lagos East senatorial by-election in Ikorodu division.
Dr Andu Akala, INEC Local Government Collation Officer for Lagos East Senatorial poll for Ikorodu, declared the result at the INEC collation centre in Ikorodu on Saturday.
According to Akala, the APC’ Tokunbo Abiru, polled 19,204 votes to beat his closest rival, Babatunde Gbadamosi, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who got 3,766 votes in all the 19 wards in Ikorodu. Read more
Why I backed Buhari, rejected Jonathan in 2015, by Amaechi (Nation)
The Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, has vowed to take control of the happenings in Rivers State when he returns in 2021.
Amaechi, a former governor of the state, said he would soon return to the state to resume political activities.
The Minister also said that former President Goodluck Jonathan gave him many offers to remain in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but he rejected them because he was not a tribalist. Read more
Ndigbo in make or Mar meeting to save Ohanaeze (Guardian)
Eminent Igbo sons and daughters will gather today in Enugu under the auspices of Ime-Obi Ohanaeze (highest decision making organ) in what has been described as a last minute effort to save the soul of apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
The meeting is being convened, following the controversy that has arisen over the January 11, 2021 national elections of the association among others.
The last time the meeting of Ime-Obi was held was during the build up to the 2019 Presidential election. Ime-Obi had been convened to adopt Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as consensus candidates of Ndigbo in the exercise. Read more
Discos owe N416.94bn in nine months, says NBET (Punch)
Power distribution companies in the country failed to pay a total of N416.94bn for the electricity sold to them from January to September this year, the latest data from the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc have shown.
The government-owned NBET buys electricity in bulk from generation companies through Power Purchase Agreements, and sells through vesting contracts to the Discos, which then supply it to the consumers.
The bulk trader noted that some of the Discos had yet to meet up with the minimum remittance approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.
The 11 Discos were given a total invoice of N538.25bn for the energy received in the nine-month period but only paid N121.31bn to NBET, according to NBET data. Read more
Italy: Police arrest 19 suspected people smugglers (BBC)
Police in Italy have arrested 19 people accused of running a smuggling ring bringing migrants to Europe.
The smugglers allegedly transported migrants from countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan to Italy and then on to northern Europe.
Those arrested included Iraqi Kurds, Afghans and Italians, police said.
Police announced the findings following a two-year investigation that linked the suspects with smugglers in Turkey and Greece. Read more
‘Essex girl’ removed from dictionary after campaigners argue term is ‘offensive’ (Metro)
The phrase ‘Essex girl’ will be removed from the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary after campaigners argued the term is ‘very offensive’. The dictionary currently defines an ‘Essex girl’ as: ‘A name used especially in jokes to refer to a type of young woman who is not intelligent, dresses badly, talks in a loud and ugly way and is very willing to have sex.’ The expression will be taken out of the book – which is used to teach foreign language students English – after the Essex Girls’ Liberation Front battled to ‘challenge prejudice about what it means to be an Essex Girl’. It will remain in the main Oxford English Dictionary, as publishers claim ‘nothing is ever taken out’ of the ‘historical dictionary’. Read more
Asteroid capsule located in Australian desert (BBC)
A recovery team in Australia has found a space capsule carrying the first large quantities of rock from an asteroid.
The capsule, containing material from a space rock called Ryugu, parachuted down near Woomera in South Australia.
The samples were originally collected by a Japanese spacecraft called Hayabusa-2, which spent more than a year investigating the object.
The container detached from Hayabusa-2, later entering the Earth’s atmosphere. Read more
This scientist’s decades of mRNA research led to both COVID-19 vaccines (NYPost)
Half an hour outside Philadelphia, in a modest suburban home, lives a quirky, cheerful 65-year-old scientist who’s a big part of the reason people might be able to throw away their masks next year.
Here’s when healthy Americans will be able to get a coronavirus vaccine
The pioneering Dr. Katalin Kariko — who fled Communist-run Hungary at 30 for the US in 1985 with $1,200 hidden inside her 2-year-old daughter’s teddy bear — isn’t as powerful or rich as Moderna’s Stéphane Bancel or BioNTech’s Ugur Sahin. Nor has she ever been celebrated.
Kariko’s obsessive 40 years of research into synthetic messenger RNA was long thought to be a boring dead-end. She said she was chronically overlooked, scorned, fired, demoted, repeatedly refused government and corporate grants, and threatened with deportation — among other indignities. Read more
Rita Ora forced to apologise for breaking lockdown rules again over Egypt trip (Metro)
Rita Ora has apologised after breaking coronavirus lockdown rules once more, following a trip to Egypt. The I Will Never Let You Down singer came under fire last week after it emerged that she threw a party to celebrate her 30th birthday at a swanky London restaurant, with a group of close friends and family. It has now emerged that the 30-year-old had previously flown to perform in Egypt before this, and did not follow government rules to quarantine for 14 days upon her return to the UK. According to the Mail on Sunday, she flew to Cairo on November 21 and came back to London the following day. Read more
France police security bill: Protests turn violent again (BBC)
Dozens of protesters have clashed with police in the French capital Paris in fresh demonstrations against a controversial draft security law.
Police fired tear gas after hooded protesters smashed shop windows and set several vehicles alight.
Nearly 100 rallies were planned nationwide on Saturday over the draft bill that would outlaw taking photos of police with malevolent intent.
Opponents say the bill undermines press freedom to document police brutality. Read more
Dr Dre’s eldest daughter hasn’t seen mogul in 17 years (PageSix)
Marital woes aren’t the only family drama Dr Dre is facing.
The Grammy-winner’s eldest daughter, 37-year-old LaTanya Young, recently opened up about the estranged relationship she has with her father, sharing that even while she struggles financially, she ultimately wants nothing more than a relationship with her dad.
“Money is not what I want, I feel better doing it on my own,” she told The Daily Mail, even while admitting to falling on tough times, recently applying to become a driver for FedEx.
“I was on assistance for a while, it’s embarrassing to say,” she revealed. “He did offer to help me with tuition but he never speaks to me. He never set me up to be able to not need him. He never paid for college, he never did anything to help me and my sisters get along.” Read more
Chelsea go top after comeback win in front of fans (BBC)
Chelsea went top of the Premier League as they came from behind to beat Leeds United in their first game in front of fans for nine months.
Former Blues striker Patrick Bamford, who spent five years at Chelsea without making a senior appearance, gave Leeds an early lead at Stamford Bridge after getting between defender Kurt Zouma and keeper Edouard Mendy.
Timo Werner then somehow managed to miss from point-blank range after Olivier Giroud’s flicked header from a corner, the Germany forward hitting the underside of the bar before Leeds cleared.
However, Giroud marked his first league start of the season with his fifth goal of the week, the scorer of all four of Chelsea’s Champions League goals away to Sevilla in midweek poking home from five yards after Reece James’ cross. Read more
Millwall fans boo players taking the knee for Black Lives Matter after returning to stadium (Metro)
Millwall supporters booed the players for taking the knee in support of Black Lives Matter after returning to The Den for the first time in eight months on Saturday. Two-thousand supporters are allowed to watch their Championship clash against Derby County inside the stadium as the area is in Tier 2 of the Government’s coronavirus restrictions. Players and staff from Premier League clubs continue to honour the Black Lives Matter movement before the start of every game in an effort to raise awareness of racism. Read more
Sakhir Grand Prix: Mercedes ‘impressed but not surprised’ as George Russell shows star quality (BBC)
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said he had been “impressed but not surprised” by the accomplished performance George Russell has produced so far as he stood in for Lewis Hamilton at the Sakhir Grand Prix.
The 22-year-old Briton came within 0.026 seconds of taking pole position on his debut for Mercedes, and in so doing confirmed a status he already enjoyed in many minds in Formula 1 as a star of the future.
And befitting a driver of such obvious talent, Russell admitted to being “gutted” at being so near and yet so far from beating team-mate Valtteri Bottas to pole position around Bahrain’s short outer circuit.
“In some ways being so close makes it really frustrating,” Russell said, “but if you had told me four days ago I would be P2 this weekend I would think you were pulling my pants down.” Read more
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reveals what he said at half-time to inspire Man Utd win over West Ham (Metro)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sensed his Manchester United side were ‘stressed’ during a calamitous first-half display against West Ham. The visitors to the London stadium were fortunate to be trailing only to Tomas Soucek’s 38th minute opener after the Hammers totally dominated proceedings and missed several opportunities to extend their advantage with Pablo Fornals and Sebastian Haller particularly culpable. United, however, have made a habit of coming from behind this season and Solskjaer’s half-time team talk, during which he implored his side to keep calm, yielded dividends. ‘You’ve got to keep composed,’ said the United manager when asked how he inspired his side’s latest comeback win. Read more
Negredo gets winner as Barca lose to promoted Cadiz for first time since 1991 (BBC)
Cadiz beat Barcelona for the first time in La Liga since 1991 as former Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo scored a famous winner.
It was a first home win in the top flight against any opposition for promoted Cadiz since 2006 and takes them four points above Barcelona.
Alvaro Gimenez put Cadiz in front before an own goal from Pedro Alcala brought Barca, who are seventh, level.
Negredo took advantage of shambolic defending to score the winner.
The 35-year-old, who had only been on the pitch for 44 seconds, closed down Marc-Andre ter Stegen before rounding the sliding Frenkie de Jong to tap into an empty net. Read more
Golfer Cristie Kerr suffers serious injuries in cart accident (NYPost)
Veteran LPGA pro Cristie Kerr withdrew from the Volunteers of America Classic on Friday after she and her caddie were involved in a golf cart accident in the early morning prior the start of play.
Kerr’s husband, Erik Stevens, told Golfweek that his wife and her caddie, Matt Gelczis, spent several hours in the emergency room with multiple serious injuries before being discharged late in the afternoon. Stevens said the accident occurred in dark conditions at the Old American Golf Club.
Paige Spiranac draws line after ‘shark’ comment gets twisted
The extent of their injuries remains unknown. Read more