FG declares May 29, June 12 public holidays (Guardian)
Nigerian Government has declared May 29 and June 12 as public holidays to mark the transition to a new government and Democracy Day respectively. Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohamed, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja on Monday. Mohammed said that most of the activities formerly performed on May 29 as Democracy Day have been moved to June 12 and that the events slated for May 29, would be low key. Read more
Residents, students protest state of Lagos-Badagry Expressway (Punch)
Residents and some students on Monday defied the heavy rainfall to protest the deplorable state of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, describing it as a road of anguish and pain. The Badagry Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria who monitored the protest reported that residents blocked the popular Badagry roundabout for hours earlier in the day. They stormed the roundabout with placards bearing various inscriptions such as, “Fix Lagos/Badagry Expressway. Our businesses are dying’’; “Bad Road, Our pregnant women are having miscarriages’’; and “We are not at war, Remove checkpoints on our road’’; “We are losing man-hours.’’ Read more
Kano indigenes, groups ask new emirs to resign (Guardian)
No fewer than 70 prominent indigenes of Kano and 22 civil organisations are calling on newly appointed emirs to resign their appointment in the interest of peace and tranquillity of Kano. The concern individuals and groups asked Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Mohammad Sa’ad Abubakar to denounce the creation of additional emirates in Kano. Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje recently assented the Appointment and Deposition Act. 2019, which paved ways for balkanisation of Kano emirate council into four. Read more
Tribunal dismisses Adelabu, APC’s application to recount ballot papers (Punch)
The Oyo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed an application filed by Mr Adebayo Adelabu, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress to recount all the ballot papers used in the March 9 election. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Adelabu and his party are challenging the declaration of Seyi Makinde, governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, by the Independent National Electoral Commission has the winner of the March 9 governorship election in Oyo state. Adelabu through his Counsel, Mr Titus Asaolu, SAN, had filed an application seeking to recount all the ballot papers used in the March 9 election. Read more
Why we replaced top management cadre, by NNPC (Nation)
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has explained the recent staff movements in the Corporation, saying it was normal replacement and backfill exercise to bridge the gap occasioned by impending retirement of some management staff of the Corporation, among others. NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, in a release on Monday in Abuja, explained that the exercise involved statutory retirement of 11 of its senior management staff as well as redeployment of 19 others, saying such replacements were always effected before the final exit of the concerned staff. Read more
Rosicrucian Order wants President Buhari to tackle unemployment, insecurity (Guardian)
The Supreme Board of the Rosicrucian Order on Monday appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to intensify efforts aimed at solving unemployment, insecurity and problems affecting electricity during his second tenure. The order’s Grand Administrator, Dr Kenneth Idiodi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that Nigerians’ expectations from the President’s next administration were high. He said that Nigerians were desirous of good developments, stoppage of insurgency and armed banditry. Idiodi said that the president, in line with his promises and assurances during his electioneering, had all it takes to confront the security challenges facing the country. Read more
Internet users hit 115.9m in March – NCC (Guardian)
Internet users in Nigeria increased marginally to 115,938,255 million in March 2019, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said. The NCC made this known on Monday in its Monthly Internet Subscribers Data for February posted on its website. The data showed that overall internet users increased to 115,938,225 in March from 114,725,357 recorded in February showing an increase of 1,212,868 new subscribers. Read more
Three Nigerians jailed for transporting firearms, drugs in UK (Guardian)
Three men have been jailed by the Woolwich Crown Court for their roles in transporting firearms and drugs into the United Kingdom via Euro tunnel. The names of the convicted persons published on the website of the Metropolitan Police Service showed that the three have names that of Nigerian origin names. Their names were given as Kennedy Udo, 29, Michael Mgbedike, 22, and Emmanuel Okubote, 27. Read more
‘How 24-yr-old teacher sent WAEC answer booklet to student’ (Nation)
A 24 -year-old teacher, Oluwaseun Adegoke, who allegedly sent West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) answer booklet on the internet to a student, on Monday appeared in Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos. The police charged Adegoke, who live in Orile-Agege, Lagos, is charged with unlawfully assisting a candidate in the course of an examination. The Police Prosecutor, Insp Innocent Odugbo, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on May 17 at a private school in Agege, Lagos. Read more
Algeria army chief urges protesters to accept July poll (Guardian)
Algeria’s army chief on Monday urged demonstrators to accept presidential polls set for July 4 to elect a successor to ousted president Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Protest leaders say the North African country’s existing institutions — and personalities — are too tarnished by corruption to guarantee a legitimate vote, but the military has insisted the election go ahead as required by the constitution. “Holding a presidential election could help (Algeria) avoid falling into the trap of a constitutional void, with its accompanying dangers and unwelcome consequences,” General Ahmed Gaid Salah said in a speech, the text of which was seen by AFP. Read more
Safe for Catholic schools to reopen: Sri Lanka army (Guardian)
Sri Lanka has tightened security ahead of the reopening Tuesday of some Catholic schools for the first time since the Easter bombings that killed 258 people, the army chief said. Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake said security forces would ensure that schools were not targeted by Islamic militants responsible for the April 21 bombings. “Army and sister services are fully and confidently assisting law enforcement authorities to apprehend the culprits,” Senanayake said Monday, adding that operations had shown “marked progress” without giving details. Read more
Nineteen killed in ethnic violence in Chad (Punch)
At least 19 people have been killed in a new bout of ethnic violence in eastern Chad, bringing the death toll since Thursday to more than 31, local officials said. Fighting erupted on Sunday in two villages called Amchaloka et Amsabarna in Sila province and continued on Monday, they said. Separately, a hospital worker put the toll at 21 dead and 29 wounded. Read more
Tyler, the Creator announces two London shows after ‘rowdy’ concert was cancelled (Metro)
Tyler, the Creator has already planned his return to London, with two new shows following the chaos over the weekend. The American rapper has announced details of a pair of concerts set to be held later this year after police confirmed his impromptu Saturday concert was locked off by the venue due to security concerns. The 28-year-old has taken to Twitter to make it up to his British fans, as he wrote: ‘LONDON: Sept 16/17 O2 BRIXTON ACADEMY – on sale Friday.’ Read more
Idris Elba would be sexy as James Bond, insists 007 creator’s family (Metro)
Hermione ‘Hum’ Fleming – who is the great niece of Bond creator Ian Fleming – thinks the “sexy” ‘Luther’ actor would make a fantastic replacement for Daniel Craig in the 007 films. Daniel will be starring in the upcoming 25th bond film, which is as yet untitled, but his role as the Secret Service agent is set to be his last. The fashion PR also cited Richard Madden and Cillian Murphy as suitable candidates for the role. Read more
Saraki lauds Super Falcon’s WAFU Cup victory (Guardian)
Senate President Bukola Saraki, on Monday, lauded the Super Falcons for lifting the 2019 WAFU Cup following their soul-lifting display in the finals of the game last Saturday in Abidjan.” The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be the eighth edition of the competition. The competition is for the women’s national teams of the member-associations of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and it will hold from June 7 to July 7 in France. Read more
Man City need to win Champions League, says Guardiola (Guardian)
Pep Guardiola admits Manchester City will ultimately be judged on whether they win the Champions League despite wrapping up an unprecedented domestic treble with a 6-0 whipping of Watford in the FA Cup final. The 48-year-old Spaniard said in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s rout the domestic treble is more difficult than winning the Champions League because it demands greater consistency over a gruelling season. Read more
Mbappe wants responsibility, ‘maybe at PSG, maybe elsewhere’ (Guardian)
Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe fuelled speculation surrounding his future on Sunday, saying that he wants “responsibilities, maybe at PSG, maybe elsewhere”. The 20-year-old backed up his excellent 2018 World Cup, where he scored four times as France won the trophy, by netting 38 times for PSG this season. He was named as the Ligue 1 player of the season on Sunday but did not deny that a potential move away from France could be in the offing. Read more
Pliskova climbs to second in rankings, Williams back in top 10 (Guardian)
Karolina Pliskova climbed five places in the WTA rankings on Monday to second after her Italian Open triumph at the weekend, with Naomi Osaka’s world number one spot now in the Czech’s sights. The 27-year-old saw off Briton Johanna Konta to win her 13th WTA title in Rome. She will be the second seed at the French Open, which starts on Sunday, as she looks to improve on her previous best Roland Garros performance — a semi-final run in 2017. Read more