FG to divert traffic on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway for 6 days (Sun)
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Olukayode Popoola, yesterday, announced a six-day traffic diversion on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, starting from today, to speed up construction works.
Popoola, in a statement, said the diversion is to enable Julius Berger, contractor handling section one of the project, to lay asphalt between Arepo and Warewa, a distance of one and half kilometres. He said there is the need to prepare the ground around Punch area, hence the need for the traffic diversion to speed up construction works.
Popoola said the traffic diversion would be on the Lagos bound carriageway.
He appealed for understanding of road users, saying adequate arrangements have been made for traffic regulatory agencies to manage the construction zone to avert gridlock. Read more
Lagos #EndSARS panel was illegal, says Keyamo (DailyTrust)
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has described the panel the Lagos State Government set up to probe police brutality as illegal.
The National Economic Council (NEC) had in the wake of violent EndSARS protests against police brutality of 2020, directed states to constitute Judicial Panels of Inquiry to investigate complaints against the Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS) and other police units.
A total of 28 states had set up panels, which submitted their reports to the governors.
However, trouble started after the Lagos panel submitted its report, which was eventually leaked.
In the report, the panel indicted the military and the state government while it declared that 11 people lost their lives at Lekki tollgate.
It also recommended the prosecution of soldiers and some policemen. Read more
Coscharis Group’s CEO Cosmas Maduka loses wife, Charity (Punch)
The wife of the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Coscharis Group, Dr Cosmas Maduka, is dead, The PUNCH has learnt.
It was gathered that Mrs Charity Maduka, the Vice-President of the Coscharis Group, died on Saturday evening in Nnewi, Anambra State.
Her namesake and daughter, Charity, confirmed the death of her mother to The PUNCH on Sunday evening.
“I can confirm that she passed away yesterday (Saturday) evening,” a grieving Charity said amid muttered sobs in a phone conversation with our correspondent.
According to a profile on Coscharis Group’s website, Mrs Maduka was a co-owner of the company founded by her husband.
“In her capacity, she was once the Executive Director supervising the Administrative, Legal, Works / Maintenance, Export, Technologies teams of the organization from 1984 – 2003. Under her tutelage, she was able to grow the business by creating value via the various strategic departments she supervised within the organisation.
“As a board member of the group, in the year 2005, she later became the Executive Chairman / COO of two of the subsidiaries of the Coscharis Group namely Coscharis Beverages Limited and Coscharis Properties Limited respectively,” the profile read in part. Read more
Tears as mother, daughter burnt in Abeokuta tanker explosion (Guardian)
Tears flowed yesterday as a mother, her daughter and one other were reported burnt in a tanker explosion at a railway crossing, Lafenwa, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Others sustained injuries in the accident, which occurred yesterday morning at a railway crossing in Lafenwa area of the state.
An eyewitness said the fire was ignited when an owner of a fuel-laden tanker, which overturned at a railway level crossing in Lafenwa, brought another tanker to transload the content.
During the transloading, it ignited a fire which destroyed several shops in the area. Read more
Omicron Covid-19 not in Nigeria yet; we’ve ramped up surveillance — FG (Vanguard)
As concerns continued to mount over the new variant of COVID-19 designated as variant of concern (VOC) and named Omicron by the World Health Organisation, WHO, the Federal Government on Sunday night reassured Nigerians that the Omicron variant has not been detected in Nigeria.
In a press statement, the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, said the centre is prioritising sequencing of recently accrued samples from SARS-COV-2 positive travellers from all countries, especially those from countries that have reported the Omicron variant already.
Adetifa further urged all States to ensure that sample collection and testing are accessible, so that travelers and people with symptoms or who have been exposed to COVID-19 cases get tested promptly.
“The state notes that the NCDC, through the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) continues to coordinate genomic surveillance and other activities required for the detection of variants.” Read more
Vehicles worth over N800b imported (Nation)
Vehicles worth over N800billion have been imported into the country this year.
The vehicles, investigation revealed, were shipped into the country between first and the third quarters of the year.
For instance, in the first quarter (Q1) data by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that Nigeria imported used vehicles were valued at N311.63 billion.
In the first half of this year, NBS said the country spent N601.51 billion on the importation of motor vehicles. Read more
Delta monarch demands sack of Akpabio (Sun)
The traditional ruler of Idjerhe Kingdom of Delta State, Ovie Obukowho Monday Whiskey, Udrhie I, yesterday, decried the continued delay in constituting a substantive board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and demanded immediate sack of the Minister of the Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, for non-performance.
The monarch said non-functioning of the intervention the NDDC owing to lack of board and managing director has resulted in many abandoned projects in his domain and in the Niger Delta region.
He disclosed that all efforts to speak out against what the failure in inaugurating the NDDC Board has cost the region and to draw the attention of the President to their plight, has not yielded anything.
The Ovie, therefore, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue the Niger Delta, just as he demanded that all multi-National Oil Companies operating in the Niger Delta should relocate their headquarters to where they are drilling oil. Read more
Operatives raid Daniel’s hotel, strip guests naked, ex-gov decries shooting (Punch)
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Sunday raided former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel’s Conference Hotel in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The armed men allegedly stormed the hotel, which is a few kilometres away from the ex-governor’s office secretariat and took away some suspected Internet fraudsters.
Our correspondent gathered that the operatives, who were looking for Internet fraudsters, aka Yahoo boys, allegedly shot sporadically into the air and caused panic among the lodgers.
PUNCH Metro learnt that during the raid, the men confiscated mobile phones, laptops and exotic cars reportedly belonging to the suspects. Read more
Nnamani buries mother in US today (Guardian)
Former Governor of Enugu State and representative of Enugu East Senatorial District in the Senate, Chimaroke Nnamani, will today, bury his late mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Nwachi Nnamani in the United States of America (U.S.A).
The Senator, who gave the Nigeria event ID for the funeral, said the matriarch of the Chimaroke Nnamani family of Agbani in Enugu State, will be buried at the Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home in Virginia, United States.
The late Mrs. Nnamani died on November 13, 2021, at Fairfax County, Virginia, United States after a brief illness at the age of 85.
A statement issued yesterday in Abuja, by Senator Nnamani, revealed that before her death, the deceased requested that she be buried in the United States where she had lived for many years. Read more
Strictly’s Cynthia Erivo hits back at hater who told her to ‘never judge again’ (DailyStar)
Strictly Come Dancing judge Cynthia Erivo is the gift that keeps on giving
Not only has the stand-in panel member taken the time to learn sign language but now she’s single handedly battling online trolls with hilarious comebacks.
The 34-year-old seemed to divide Twitter users as she appeared on the BBC programme for the second time in a row after the judges were struck with a number of Covid-19 related issues.
One nasty troll demanded in the comments section of the digital platform that the TV star should “never” appear on the panel again. Read more
Brian May says he was ‘stitched up’ over Brit Awards quotes and his ‘heart is open’ to all (Yahoo)
Brian May has claimed he was “stitched up” in the wake of reports surrounding comments he made about the Brit Awards’ decision to scrap gendered categories.
The Queen guitarist was quoted earlier this week as saying the Brits changes were a “knee-jerk response” in a world in which decisions are being made “often out of fear”.
He added: “I am sure if Queen started now we would be forced to have people of different colours and different sexes and a trans [person], but life doesn’t have to be like that. We can be separate and different.”
Many on social media noted that these remarks were strange and misjudged given that the late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury was of Indian heritage and a member of the LGBT+ community. Read more
Prince Charles asked about skin colour of Harry and Meghan’s baby, new book claims (TMZ)
The Royal Family is calling BS on a new book that claims Prince Charles wondered out loud if Meghan and Harry’s child might have a dark complexion.
Christopher Anderson claims in a new book, Brothers and Wives: Inside The Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry and Meghan, that on the day Meghan and Harry announced their engagement, Charles wondered out loud to Camilla “what the children will look like?”
Anderson says Camilla was caught off guard and responded, “Well, absolutely gorgeous, I’m certain.” Charles allegedly wasn’t satisfied with the response, and shot back, “I mean, what do you think their children’s complexion might be?”
A Palace spokesperson told The NY Post, “This is fiction and not worth further comment.” Read more
Former Hollyoaks star Callum Kerr announces his engagement (DigitalSpy)
Hollyoaks star Callum Kerr has revealed he and his partner Olivia Anderson are engaged.
The actor, who played PC George Kiss on the Channel 4 soap, posted a sweet snap of him and Olivia on Instagram, with her hand over his mouth showing off her new engagement ring. “Bout last night,” he captioned the photo, alongside a diamond ring emoji.
His co-stars were quick to share their well wishes for the couple in the comments.
Parry Glasspool, who starred as Harry Thompson until he was killed off by serial killer Breda McQueen in 2019, wrote: “Well in dude!” Read more
Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex-trafficking trial to begin in New York City (BBC)
British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell is due to go on trial in New York City on sex trafficking and other charges.
She is expected to challenge claims she groomed underage girls for convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein for sexual abuse. He died in prison in 2019.
Ms Maxwell, 59, has been in a US jail since her arrest last year, awaiting the high-profile six-week trial.
Ms Maxwell, who also has American and French citizenship, has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against her. Read more
Man arrested in Cambridgeshire after man and woman stabbed to death in north London (Independent)
A man has been arrested in Cambridgeshire hours after two people were been stabbed to death in north London.
Metropolitan Police officers and paramedics were called to Mayes Road in Wood Green shortly after 9.30am on Sunday after concerns were raised for the welfare of someone inside a property.
A man and a woman who had been stabbed were found unresponsive and were pronounced dead at the scene.
A 52-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder shortly afterwards in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Read more
Nissan to spend $17.6b to accelerate electrification (Metro)
Nissan Motor Co said on Monday it will spend 2 trillion yen ($17.59 billion) over the next five years to accelerate vehicle electrification as it bets tighter carbon emission restrictions will spur demand for electric cars and hybrids.
Japan’s No. 3 car maker will introduce 23 electrified vehicles by 2030, including 15 electric vehicles (EV), and plans to introduce all solid-state batteries by March 2029, it said in a statement.
Nissan’s deeper push into battery-powered cars comes as consumer demand for such vehicles grows in key auto markets such as China and the United States and as its competitors release new electric vehicles.
Although still only a small portion of vehicles on the road, global electric car registrations in 2020 grew 41% even as the overall car market contracted by almost a sixth, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Read more
Chelsea held 1-1 by Man United as City, Leicester win (Guardian)
Manchester United prepared for the arrival of interim manager, Ralf Rangnick by earning a battling point against Premier League leaders, Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
United, under the caretaker charge of Michael Carrick with Rangnick’s appointment expected to be confirmed imminently, kept Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench and mounted a large rearguard action until Jadon Sancho hit Chelsea on the break five minutes after half-time.
Sancho pounced on poor control from Jorginho to race clear and beat Edouard Mendy with a composed finish after the hosts had dominated possession.
Chelsea was stung into action and Jorginho made amends for his error when he equalised from the spot in the 69th minute after Aaron Wan-Bissaka fouled Thiago Silva.
Manchester City midfield pair, Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandino, were on target as Pep Guardiola’s Premier League superiority over West Ham continued. Read more
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Chelsea fury as true Ole Gunnar Solskjaer thoughts revealed (Mirror)
It was ultimately a frustrating weekend for Manchester United as they drew 1-1 with Chelsea.
United took the lead five minutes into the second half when Jadon Sancho pounced on Jorginho’s poor touch and slotted past Blues goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
But Jorginho redeemed himself as Chelsea were awarded a penalty after Aaron Wan-Bissaka fouled Thiago Silva, and the Italy midfielder slotted away to equalise from the spot.
And following the result, star man Cristiano Ronaldo’s anger was there for all to see. Read more
Paddysco Sports Fiesta ends with funfair (Nation)
Parents, guardians and sports enthusiasts were treated to great displays of football skills and ballet dance by kids under the watchful eyes of their trainers and coaches at the Paddysco Sports Academy 2021 Sports Fiesta and Awards.
The event held at the Doseng International College Sports Arena, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos saw youngsters from the academy exhibited soccer skills and breathtaking runs to the applause of the audience during the football exhibitions.
The Chief Executive Officer of Paddysco Sports Academy, Mr. Peter Azunnaya Okereke, said the kiddies Sports Academy which started in March 2017 has been able to discover great talents who have shown promise to excel.
He disclosed that some of their wards are doing well in Europe. Read more
Brendan Rodgers heaps praise on ‘inspirational’ James Maddison after Foxes win (Independent)
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers hailed in-form James Maddison as a “real inspiration” for the Foxes following their 4-2 win over Watford.
The midfielder scored one and created two for Jamie Vardy as the Foxes overcame the battling Hornets at the King Power Stadium
Ademola Lookman added a fourth in the second half to seal the game and end Watford’s hopes of comeback.
Josh King’s penalty briefly levelled in the first half and, while Emmanuel Dennis made it 3-2 after the break, Claudio Ranieri’s Hornets slipped to defeat on the Italian’s first return to the King Power Stadium as a manager since being sacked by Leicester in 2017. Read more
Kazakhstan knocks out Canada to advance at Davis Cup Finals (UbiTennis)
Kazakhstan is through to the quarterfinals at the Davis Cup Finals in Madrid after beating Canada who was looking to stay alive.
Kazakhstan has officially won group B and booked a spot in the final eight of the tournament after Mikhail Kukushkin and Alexander Bublik posted wins over Brayden Schnur and Vasek Pospisil.
Canada needed to go a perfect 3-0 to give them a small chance of obtaining a second place spot but losing both singles means their run is over and they have failed to advance after reaching the final back in 2019. Unlike two years ago, the team were missing their top players Denis Shapovalov and Felix-Auger Aliassime who withdrew from the event less than a month before it started.
“Going in, we went from being the favorites in this group to having a tough task ahead of us,” said captain Frank Dancevic. Read more
Thomas Tuchel channels ‘inner Jurgen Klopp’ with laughable excuse for Man Utd goal (DailyStar)
Thomas Tuchel has channelled his ‘inner Jurgen Klopp’ according to fans after he made a laughable excuse for Manchester United’s goal on Sunday.
United had taken the lead against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge as Jadon Sancho took advantage of a poor first touch by Jorginho to go through on goal and slot past Edouard Mendy.
The Italian had tried to control a clearance on the halfway line as it dropped out the air but his touch went straight to Sancho who went on to score his first Premier League goal.
Jorginho atoned for his error by pulling the Blues level from the penalty spot. Read more
Harry Kane’s classy gesture after fans made 31-hour journey to cancelled Tottenham match (Mirror)
Harry Kane has invited two unfortunate Tottenham Hotspur fans the chance to watch a match as his guest at Spurs’ stadium.
A pair of supporters travelled 31 hours from the United States in hope of seeing their beloved team play Burnley in the Premier League on Sunday.
But they were left gutted after Storm Arwen got the better of Turf Moor and snow forced the match to be postponed less than an hour before kick-off.
With fellow Tottenham fans sharing their sympathies to the Texas-based couple, England captain Kane was alerted to their tribulation and made a classy gesture.
Two US-based Tottenham fans were denied the chance to see their team by Storm Arwen(KeN17 Twitter)
The England captain wrote on Twitter : “Just been sent this tweet and absolutely gutted for you! Read more