I don’t have a side chick in Lagos –RMD (Nation)
Veteran actor Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) has reacted to the allegation of having a side chick in Lagos.
In February, an Instagram blogger had accused RMD of cheating on his wife with a lady identified as Chioma.
According to the blogger, the actor has been dating Chioma for a while and he is deeply in love with her.
Since the allegation went viral on social media, the actor has remained silent.
However, in a recent interview with Chude Jideonwo, RMD refuted reports of having a side chick in Lagos or harbouring plans to dump his wife for her. Read more
Next president should emerge from the South –Southern Governors (Punch)
Southern states governors have agreed that the successor of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), should come from the Southern region.
This was part of the decisions they reached at their meeting on Monday in Lagos.
During the meeting, the governors also deliberated on insecurity, constitutional amendment, PIB and anti-open grazing law in all member-states.
While commending lawmakers for the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, they opposed three per cent revenue allocation for the host communities. Read more
Police foil hoodlums clash in Lagos (Vanguard)
Police in Lagos State, on Monday, foiled preliminary violence in Mile 12 and Owode-Elede area of the state.
Eye witnesses’ account said the incident occurred at about 10 am around Mile 12 under the bridge when some suspected miscreants from Mile 12, Adekunle and Owode – Elede axis were noticed pursuing one another with dangerous weapons.
A trader, Madam Kolawole Aminat said the incident caused apprehension within the area as many traders hurriedly parked their wares while commuters scampered for safety.
She said people made telephone calls to their relatives to avoid the axis while vehicular activities were disrupted for some time. Read more
Southern govs set anti-open grazing law implementation deadline (Punch)
Southern Governors set September 21, 2021, as the deadline for the promulgation of anti-open grazing law among its member states.
They jointly agreed on the date during their meeting on Monday in Lagos.
During the meeting, the governors also deliberated on insecurity, constitutional amendment, PIB and anti-open grazing law in all member-states.
Aside from the host governor, others at the meeting are Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Emmanuel Udom (Akwa Ibom), Diri Duoye (Bayelsa), Willie Obiano (Anambra), Ben Ayade (Cross Rivers), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), David Umahi (Ebonyi), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun), Oluwaseyi Makinde (Oyo), and Nyesom Wike (Rivers). Read more
LASG trains 1,000 artisans, drivers on hazards management (Vanguard)
The Director-General, Lagos Safety Commission, Mr Lanre Mojola, said that the Lagos State Government had trained 1000 artisans, traders and commercial drivers on safe measures to environmental accidents to the barest minimum.
Mojola made the disclosure during the training programme organised by the Commission with the Theme “Hazard Identification and Hygiene Management for Transporters, Market traders and Artisans in Lagos on Sunday.
“Everyone need to act safety, identify hazards, think safety and protect themselves from accidents.
“Many accidents that happened in the past happened due to negligence and people refuse to take precautions. Read more
Arrest leader of Miyetti Allah the way you arrested Nnamdi Kanu, Anglican bishop tells Buhari (Tribune)
Bishop of Anglican Diocese of Nnewi in Anambra State, Right Reverend Ndubuisi Obi, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to arrest the leader of Miyetti Allah the same way he arrested the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The bishop, in a chat with some journalists immediately after his bishop charge at the second session of the fourth Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Ohaji/Egbema in Imo State, advised President Buhari to rise up to do what the masses wanted from him by arresting insecurity.
He said; The president knows what to do, he can arrest the situation.”
The bishop said that the fact that the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu was at foreign country showed that government is insincere. Read more
Sugar daddies have changed many girls- Actress Peju Johnson (Nation)
Nollywood actress, Peju Johnson, has spoken on how ‘sugar daddies’ have successfully changed the ‘orientation’ of many girl by sponsoring their lavish lifestyle.
Speaking in a recent interview with Vanguard, the actress noted sugar daddies have exposed young ladies to extravagant lifestyle thereby, undermining and making it more difficult to settle down with the average single men.
She said: “Let me say, sugar daddies have helped a lot of ladies to live a better life, changing their lives for better and at the same time, spoiling many of them.
“They change the orientation of many girls about life; helping them to fund their lifestyles and this, has made it difficult for many of them to want to settle for normal guys/ men. Read more
FG To Convert 250 Civil Servants To Planning Officers (DailyTrust)
The federal government has commenced the training of some selected officers of Grade Level 08-14 ahead of their conversion to the planning cadre in the federal civil service.
The training expected to last for two weeks at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), Kubwa Abuja, commenced with 800 officers, at the end of which 250 will be selected for another intensive training preparatory to their conversion to the planning cadre by the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC).
Soldiers foil attack on Oyedepo’s school in Kaduna
Soyinka accuses FG of kidnapping Nnamdi Kanu
Declaring the event open, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, explained how the service settled for the initial 800 officers for the exercise, saying the selection was rigorous and competitive.
“Officers on Grade Levels 08–14 in the mainstream federal service were invited to apply for lateral conversion to the Planning Officer Cadre. In response to the circular, a total of 1,704 applications were received out of which about 800 officers were found eligible based on the set criteria. Read more
DSS invasion: FG should apologise to Sunday Igboho, says Wole Soyinka (Tribune)
Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has reacted to the invasion of Sunday Igboho’s house by the DSS saying that the Federal Government should apologise to Igboho.
Soyinka said this in a recent interview with the BBC. He was asked in the interview aired on Monday to react to the invasion of Sunday Igboho’s house in Ibadan last Thursday.
Soyinka described the actions of Sunday Igboho, whose real name is Sunday Adeyemo, for which he has been declared wanted by the DSS, as noncriminal.
He said, “There is a sentence in papers which said the government has moved against secessionists and other criminals. Now that’s a very loaded and wrongful expression. Would be secessionists, secessionists and other criminals! Read more
Ethiopia’s Abiy boasts of military might despite rebel gains (Guardian)
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared Monday his government could easily recruit one million new fighters but wants to foster a period of “silence” in the country’s war-hit Tigray region.
The 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner’s remarks came one week after Tigray’s capital Mekele fell to the Tigray Defence Forces (TDF) rebel group and Abiy’s government declared a unilateral ceasefire in the eight-month-old conflict.
The TDF has described its seizure of Mekele and most of the rest of the northern region of Tigray as a major victory, while Abiy and other officials have countered that federal forces executed a strategic pullback to focus on other threats.
“In one, two or three weeks, 100,000 trained, armed and organised special forces can be mobilised,” Abiy told lawmakers. Read more
Afghanistan: Soldiers flee to Tajikistan after militant clashes (BBC)
More than 1,000 Afghan soldiers have fled to neighbouring Tajikistan after clashing with Taliban militants, officials have said.
The troops retreated over the border to “save their own lives”, according to a statement by Tajikistan’s border guard.
Violence has risen in Afghanistan, with the Taliban launching attacks and taking more territory in recent weeks.
The surge coincides with the end of Nato’s 20-year military mission in the country. Read more
Body of Army vet missing since 2019 found, boyfriend charged with murder (NYPost)
The boyfriend of a missing New Mexico Army veteran is facing murder charges after her body was discovered in Nevada, authorities said.
Cecelia Barber Finona, a 59-year-old US Army vet, was last seen at her Farmington home in May 2019. Her boyfriend, Jerry Jay, was also missing from the New Mexico residence and evidence there led detectives to be “very concerned” for the Navajo woman’s safety, Farmington police said in a statement Friday.
A body was then discovered in Clark County, Nevada, in February and DNA testing last week confirmed it was Finona, police said.
Jay, 69, who had been considered the primary person of interest in Finona’s disappearance, has been charged with murder, kidnapping and tampering with evidence in her death. Read more
Will Smith nearly lost out on Independence Day role ‘because he’s Black’ (Metro)
It’s been claimed that Will Smith almost lost the opportunity to star in Independence Day as the movie studio was allegedly concerned with whether a Black man could sell tickets.
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air actor starred as Captain Steven Hiller in the 1996 sci-fi epic, which just celebrated its 25th anniversary on July 3.
It follows the aftermath of an alien attack which destroys major cities around the world using their advanced weaponry. A group, led by Hiller, then unites to launch a counterattack and save mankind from annihilation.
Independence Day remains one of Will’s most memorable roles on the big screen and propelled him into a blockbuster action star capable of smashing box office sales. Read more
Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani get married during intimate ceremony (PageSix)
There is no doubt this time that Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton have tied the knot.
The couple officially got hitched on Saturday, less than a month after the “No Doubt” singer sparked wedding rumours by wearing a diamond band on her left hand.
The ceremony took place at Shelton’s Oklahoma ranch, where sources previously said he built a chapel with the intention of marrying Stefani there.
Stefani, 51, and Shelton, 45, began dating in 2015 after meeting as coaches on NBC’s “The Voice.” Read more
Bill Cosby defends TV wife Phylicia Rashad after she celebrated his release (BBC)
Bill Cosby’s on-screen wife is at the centre of controversy after tweeting her support for him when his sexual assault conviction was overturned.
Phylicia Rashad, who starred in The Cosby Show, tweeted on Wednesday that “a terrible wrong has been righted”.
The tweet was then removed. A follow-up post said she “fully supported sexual abuse survivors coming forward”.
Cosby has defended Rashad after Howard University, where she is a dean, said her first tweet “lacked sensitivity”. Read more
UFO pictured hovering above Devon coast before disappearing (Metro)
A student was left shocked after spotting a large UFO hovering ‘for ten seconds’ over the Devon seafront.
Matthew Evans, 36, spotted the bright unidentified object while peeping out of his top-floor flat window last week.
Snaps show four bright lights in a triangular-shaped formation lingering in the night’s sky.
The mature student managed to whip out his phone to take a picture but within seconds the suspect object whizzed off into the distance. Read more
Rohr to draft more NPFL stars for Super Eagles (Nation)
Coach Gernot Rohr has hinted about the possibility of drafting some home-based players from the cast that lost 4-0 to Mexico in an international friendly played in California at the weekend.
The German who attended the game in an advisory capacity to the home-based coaching crew led by Paul Aigbogun said he has identified some new players, adding that the lads did their best despite the loss to the North Americans.
“I saw a wonderful game and we were able to see real football with fans in the stadium because it has been such a long time that we’d been playing in an empty stadium and Mexico as number 11 team in the world showed their quality today,” Rohr explained .“We have here some of our best players from home and they tried to do their best and they have learned today.
“I have seen some players that could be very interesting for our list for the World Cup qualifiers in September.” Read more
Wimbledon 2021: Matteo Berrettini beats Ilya Ivashka to make last eight (BBC)
Italian Matteo Berrettini cruised into the quarter-finals of the men’s singles at Wimbledon with a confident straight-set victory over Ilya Ivashka.
The seventh seed looked in the kind of imperious form which saw him win Queen’s last month as he outclassed Ivashka 6-4 6-3 6-1 on court 12.
Berrettini lost just one service game to the Belarusian as he sealed victory with a stylish forehand winner.
He will next face Felix Auger-Aliassime or Alexander Zverev. Read more
Capacity crowds to return to UK stadiums after 19 July with no need for vaccine passports (Metro)
There are set to be capacity crowds at stadiums in the UK from 19 July with no need for fans to show vaccine passports, thanks to the success of the test events held so far.
Boris Johnson will hold a press conference on Monday evening setting out plans for the end of lockdown restrictions on Monday 19 July, which will include the end of limited crowds at sporting events.
The Times reports that there will be no need to show proof of being double vaccinated to get into sporting events after that date, unlike at the test events so far, where you have needed proof of vaccination or a negative test result. Read more
Wimbledon 2021: Tunisian Ons Jabeur beats seventh seed Iga Swiatek to reach quarter-finals (BBC)
Tunisian 21st seed Ons Jabeur produced a stunning display to overcome Polish seventh seed Iga Swiatek and secure her first Wimbledon quarter-final.
With the victory, Jabeur, 26, becomes the first Arab woman to reach the last eight at the All England Club.
The world number 24 recovered from a set down to prevail 5-7 6-1 6-1 against 2020 French Open champion Swiatek.
Jabeur will meet second seed Aryna Sabalenka next after the Belarusian beat Kazakh 18th seed Elena Rybakina. Read more
Matteo Guendouzi sends emotional message to Arsenal fans before Marseille transfer (Metro)
Arsenal ace Matteo Guendouzi has sent an emotional message to supporters ahead of his proposed move to Marseille.
The Frenchman is set to join the Ligue 1 club on a season-long loan and the deal will include an obligation to buy clause for a fee of around £10m.
Guendouzi joined Arsenal from Lorient for a fee of around £5m in 2018 and he impressed in the early days of his stint at the Emirates under Unai Emery.
However, the Frenchman’s application came under question and he experienced attitude problems during his time under Mikel Arteta, who ostracised Guendouzi after he clashed with Neal Maupay during a defeat to Brighton 12 months ago. Read more
LeBron James makes a scene at son Bronny’s basketball game (NYPost)
LeBron James is a diva even when he’s not playing.
The four-time NBA MVP caused a scene at his son Bronny’s prep basketball game on Saturday, interrupting the game to yell at the PA announcer over a comment he didn’t appreciate.
During the final minutes of the game – which took place at LeBron’s alma mater St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School, at the aptly named LeBron James Arena – the Lakers star took issue after a PA announcer said Bronny got a foul call because he was playing in a gym with his father’s name on it, according to the broadcast.
The 36-year-old got up and started yelling at the announcer, interrupting the game in the process. It took LeBron a minute or so to calm down before he ended up walking back to his seat.Bronny’s Strive for Greatness team ended up losing the game in overtime, 73-69. The game was a part of the “Battle Summer Showcase,” a tournament highlighting some of the best high school talent in the Midwest. Read more