Governorship candidates seek stoppage of Sanwo-Olu’s swearing-in (Punch)
The governorship candidate of the Alliance for Democracy, Chief Owolabi Salis, and his counterpart in the Labour Party, Prof. Ifagbemi Awamaridi, on Thursday filed a petition before the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Ikeja to stop the swearing-in of the governor-elect of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, claiming that he was of ‘unsound mind.’
The petition numbered, EPT/LAG/GOV/2/2019, alleged that Sanwo-Olu had a criminal record in the United States of America and “is of unsound mind” and urged the tribunal to stop him from being sworn-in as governor. Read more
NURTW, RTEAN hail Ambode for new buses, road expansion (Nation)
The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) have hailed the Lagos State Government for the massive investment in road infrastructure.
The state chairmen of NURTW and RTEAN, Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede and Alhaji Mohammed Musa, gave the commendation yesterday in Ikeja, Lagos, in interviews with reporters. Read more
Ambode asks commissioners, aides to submit handover notes (Punch)
The Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has given all commissioners, special advisers, special assistants and personal assistants till May 10 to submit their handover notes.
This is contained in a circular issued by the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office, Adesina Odeyemi.
The circular, with reference number, SSG/LS/P/C/2019/Vol.1/01, was issued on April 23, 2019. Read more
Lagos NDE disburses loans to trainees (Independent)
The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Lagos State, on Thursday flagged off training and orientation would-be entrepreneurs in the agricultural value chain.
The training and orientation was organized by the Rural Employment Promotion Department of the directorate in Lagos.
Mr. Adebowale Ologbenla, the state coordinator, representing Dr Mohammed Nasir Argungun, the director general, enjoined beneficiaries of the loan scheme to invest wisely and make the best use of the opportunity afforded them by the Federal Government. He urged them to endeavour to pay back as and when due. Read more
Bricklayer sells six-week-old twins for N500,000 (Punch)
A 26-year-old bricklayer, Kenneth Ofoke, has been arrested in Benin, Edo State, for allegedly selling his six-week-old twin babies for half a million naira.
The suspect, who hails from Eboyi State, was said to have sold the infants in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Ofoke was among suspects paraded by the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed DanMallam, for alleged involvement in various crimes. Read more
I dumped Reps, not politics, Balogun clarifies (Independent)
Yakub Balogun, a House of Representatives Member from Lagos State, on Thursday, declared that he has not quit politics as alleged but had rather dumped the calls to continue with the House of Representatives by refusing to contest in the just concluded election.
Balogun, who is a two -term member in the Green Chamber, said at a press briefing in Abuja, that he decided to quit the lower House to give younger people the opportunity to also rise, while hoping to serve at a higher level, if called upon by his leaders and people. Read more
Reps accuse banks of non-remittance of stamp duty deductions (Punch)
The House of Representatives has condemned the stamp duty charges imposed on Nigerians for their banking transactions.
The lawmakers especially criticised banks who make the deductions without remittance into the Federal Government coffers, contravening the Treasury Single Account policy. Read more
‘APC should produce next Senate President, Reps Speaker’ (Nation)
Veteran broadcaster and politician Otunba Kunle Olasope reflects on the preparations for the election of the National Assembly officers and contends that the exercise should take cognisance of zoning and the interest of the party, which commands the majority in the parliament.
In recent weeks, conventional and social media have been awash with articles about the impending election of the principal officers of the newly elected National Assembly slated for June 10 2019. It has been a case of arguments as to the criteria and modalities for the exercise. Read more
Ngige tackles NMA, doctors say FG rejected health bank proposal (Punch)
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, on Thursday said the doctors’ union should not only be for the purpose of personal aggrandisement and asking members to go on strike.
This is as the Nigerian Medical Association said the Federal Government rejected its proposal for the establishment of a health bank as part of efforts to solve the problems bedevilling the nation’s health sector. Read more
Ajimobi inaugurates 26-member transition committee (Nation)
Governor Abiola Ajimobi has inaugurated a 26-man committee to prepare the ground for the May 29 change of political baton in Oyo State.
The committee christened, “Koseleri”, comprises 16 members from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) led administration.
The incoming Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government has 10 members. Read more
NBA bars members from kidnap cases in Edo (Vanguard)
The Benin Branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), on Thursday, barred its members from handling cases of kidnapping. The branch made this known in a communiqué signed by its Chairman Mr Collins Ogiegbaen and Secretary Mr Pius Oiwoh on Thursday in Benin. File: Lawyers The association said it is withdrawing its services from all suspects whose offences are related to kidnapping against the background of incessant cases of kidnap and attempted kidnap of its members. Read more
Insecurity: Ortom, stakeholders strike deal to end hostilities in Sankera axis (Nation)
Benue governor Samuel Ortom on Thursday met with stakeholders in Tiv land to brainstorm on the lingering hostilities in the Sankera axis.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the meeting with stakeholders from Ukum, Logo, Katsina-Ala and Gboko Local Government, was initiated by Ortom as part of efforts to seek lasting peace to that region of the state. Read more
Oyo Assembly passes Family Planning Bill (Vanguard)
The Oyo State House of Assembly, under the Leadership of Olagunju Ojo, has passed a bill to provide legal framework and encourage family planning and maternity service in the state.
The bill, Oyo State Family Planning, Reproductive Health and Maternity Service, 2017, was sponsored by Mr Silas Okunlola (Iwajowa) state Constituency and Mrs Bimbo Oladeji (Ogbomoso North).
According to the Chairman, House Committee on Health, Okunlola, the law is to ensure enough space is given to the number of children one decides to have. Read more
Police to migrate from use of lethal weapons (Nation)
The Nigeria Police has begun the process of migrating from total dependence on lethal weapons as first line of operations, to the use of less lethal weapons such as Taser or Stun guns.
The acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, made the disclosure at the inauguration of Zonal Security Stakeholders’ Forum, held yesterday at the Zone 11 Command headquarters, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, the Osun State capital. Read more
Guinea’s president eyes controversial third term (Mail&Guardian)
The billboard outside Guinea’s National Assembly building reads: “I am young. Yes to a referendum. Yes to a new Constitution.
We support you for life.”
Similar signs have popped up in other parts of the country. The publicity campaign is in support of a constitutional referendum to scrap term limits, which would allow President Alpha Condé to run for a third or even fourth term in office. Read more
John Singleton in coma following “major stroke” (HollywoodReporter)
John Singleton is currently in a coma after suffering a “major stroke,” his mother has written in an application for temporary conservatorship.
Sheila Ward applied to be the 51-year-old Snowfall co-creator’s temporary conservator, a judge-appointed individual who looks over a person’s health and finances when they cannot do it themselves, in an application to California’s Superior Court on Thursday. The document details some previously undisclosed circumstances of Singleton’s stroke, such as that the medical incident on April 17 was “major” and left him hospitalized in a coma. Read more
Pinnick, Musa, Oshoala others to light up 2018/2019 Nigeria Pitch Awards (Vanguard)
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick, Super Eagles Vice-Captain, Ahmed Musa, and Super Falcons goal-poacher, Asisiat Oshoala and others are potential winners of the 2018/2019 Nigeria Pitch Awards.
Nigeria Pitch Awards The organisers of the awards, Matchmakers Consult International Ltd., on Thursday announced the list of nominees for the 2018/2019 at a news briefing in Lagos. Read more
Football Devt: NFF lauds Okowa (Vanguard)
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has said Delta State Governor, Senator, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa deserves commendation for his tremendous support for the development of football in the country.
In a letter of appreciation signed by the Chairman of NFF, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, the national football body stated that Delta State government led by Governor Okowa has booked a special place in the annals of football history in the country with the successful hosting of various matches and events of the federation in the last few months. Read more
Promotion and relegation part of explosive Champions League plans (Guardian)
The European Club Association has set out potentially explosive plans to revamp the Champions League to include more matches and some form of promotion and relegation when the agreed format and football calendar concludes in 2024.
The ECA and Juventus chairman, Andrea Agnelli, spelled out the principles informing the top clubs’ push to reshape European football in a letter inviting all the ECA’s 232 clubs to discuss them at a special general assembly in Malta on 6 and 7 June. Read more
Chelsea’s Sarri fined after accepting misconduct charge (Eurosport)
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has been fined £8,000 by the Football Association after accepting a misconduct charge after Monday’s 2-2 Premier League draw against Burnley.
The Italian, 60, was sent to the stands by referee Kevin Friend in stoppage time after losing his cool during the closing moments of a heated clash at Stamford Bridge.
The FA confirmed the sanction in a statement on Thursday. Read more
England’s Raheem Sterling honoured with award for fighting racism (Straitstimes)
Manchester City’s England forward Raheem Sterling has been awarded The Integrity and Impact Award at this year’s BT Sport Industry Awards for speaking out on a range of social issues, including racism.
Sterling was recognised for his fight against racism in the sport and for using his platform to call for more action to be taken. He had said this month that more players needed to speak out when they suffered racism to eradicate it from the game. Read more