I dreamt about winning souls for God — BBNaija star Mercy Eke (DailyTrust)
The winner of the BBNaija ‘Pepper Dem’ edition, Mercy Eke, has disclosed that she dreamt that she was winning souls for God and healing people.
She revealed this via her Snapchat account on Saturday.
According to Eke, she neither lied nor drank alcohol on the eighth day of the year, as she prayed to God for more strength to keep going.
She wrote, “Day 8: No alcohol, no lies, no sin, no party. God, I need more strength to keep going but outside is already calling my name. Read more
Lagos to seal schools over failure to resume on Jan 4 (Punch)
The Lagos State Government says it will seal schools that failed to comply with the stipulated academic calendar in the state.
The government said the compilation of the names of schools that failed to comply with the directive of the state’s Ministry of Education that private and public schools should resume on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, was being compiled and “disciplinary actions will be taken” forthwith.
The Director-General, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, made this known in a statement on Saturday.
The statement was titled, ‘LASG Frowns At Non-Compliance With Academic Calendar By Some Schools’.
Seriki-Ayeni reiterated that part of the mandate of her office was to develop a harmonised school calendar in conjunction with stakeholders in the education sector and ensure compliance, stressing that the monitoring exercise embarked upon by the officials of the Agency was to appraise the level of compliance with the resumption date, students’ presence and COVID-19 safety protocols. Read more
Sanwo-Olu sends loving message to wife on birthday (DailyTrust)
The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has sent a loving message to his wife Ibijoke, as she turns a year older today. In the message, the governor described his wife as his ‘source of strength and cheerleader’.
Taking to his verified Instagram page, the governor stated that there are no words adequate enough to describe, and appreciate his wife for her strength, resilience, understanding and selflessness as they paddle the waters of governance in the state.
He wrote, “To my delectable wife, IbijoGender-Based been my source of strength, my prayer partner, my happy place, my supporter, my cheerleader, the co-pilot in our home, and most importantly an exemplary mother to our children. There are no words adequate enough to describe and appreciate you for your strength, resilience, understanding and selflessness as we paddle the waters of Governance in Lagos.
“Thank you for holding the forth and strong in managing the home front while also taking on the role of First Lady. Thank you for your passion in speaking up against Domestic and Gender-Based Violence. Thank you for seeing the vision of a greater Lagos with me. Read more
Sylvester Oromoni died of natural causes, police insist (Tribune)
THE police in Lagos State have insisted that 12 years old Sylvester Oromoni of Dowen College, Lekki, died a natural death.
The Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, however, stated that a coroner’s inquest would still be carried out to put to rest the cause of the youngster’s death.
Odumosu told newsmen on Friday that police investigations revealed that the deceased student was not taken to the hospital for treatment after he was removed from the school’s sick bay about 10 days before his death.
The commissioner said the two autopsy results – from the deceased student’s family and all the parties involved and the Lagos State government – showed that Sylvester died a natural death. He also stated that the toxicology tests from Delta and Lagos states also did not indicate any signs of violence on the body of the late student. Read more
Jimoh Ibrahim dissociates self from fake cryptocurrency link (Vanguard)
A business mogul and owner of Fortune University, Barr. Jimoh Ibrahim, has asked Nigerians to disregard a Facebook account opened by some persons in his name, saying the account is fake.
Ibrahim, who described those behind it as unscrupulous humans, said the aim of the sponsors of the page was to defraud Nigerians of their hard-earned money.
“I am surprised to see the account like others”, a statement by Ibrahim said.
The page advertised a phony link which projected an investment profile with a fake note credited to Jimoh Ibrahim written thus: ” I am sharing this because I ‘ve also received hundreds of emails from people thanking me for sharing this secret. ” The scam link is ‘https://fingering. xyz/Jimoh Ibrahim_23.122021’
Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim whose chain of business cut across oil and gas, hospitality , Insurance and many more, said emphatically that the face book page doesn’t belong to him, stressing that some smart Alecs went to hoist the page on the social media with the hope of using his name and face to defraud unsuspecting members of the public. Read more
NDLEA boss Marwa loses first wife, Zainab (Punch)
The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd.), has lost his first wife, Hajiya Zainab Marwa.
A statement by the family on Saturday said Zainab Marwa died in the early hours of the day at the age of 66 after a brief illness.
The deceased is survived by four adult children: Abubakar, Mohamed Jr, Mariam and Zainab, and 10 grandchildren as well as her siblings and aged mother.
During her lifetime, she championed the course of women and the girl child. Read more
Navy hands over seized vessel, crew to EFCC (Sun)
The Nigerian Navy has handed over a seized vessel, MT TIS IV and her 22 crew member to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The vessel and her crew members were arrested on December 6 2021, by Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS Soroh), Central Naval Command, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State within the Akassa River in Brass Local Government Area.
The vessel as of the time of arrest was loaded with 700 liters of illegally sourced crude oil worth about (N148,281.000).
Commander of NNS Soroh, Commodore Patrick Effah who presided over the handover ceremony to the EFCC in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State said the investigation conducted by the Navy revealed that the vessel and her crew members were complicity in economic sabotage.
“ On December 6 2021, the Nigerian Navy during a routine patrol within the Akassa River Channel arrested a Vessel MT S loaded with about 700,000 litres of illegally sourced oil.
How I kidnapped my customer with help from 5 DSS officers — 42-yr-old Suspect confesses (Vanguard)
A suspect, Akeem Ogunnibi, 42, at the weekend confessed how he – with the help of Department of State Security operatives – kidnapped one businessman at Sabo identified as Bala.
The Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode had earlier disclosed while parading the suspect that the victim, a bureau de change operator in Osogbo reported that he was whisked away from his office by gun-wielding men on December 30, 2021, around 5:30 pm.
The victim, according to the Olokode, added that he was driven to a bush path along Ilesa road and demanded ransom before he could free and upon searching him, he was dispossessed of the N204,000 on him and abandoned at the place.
However, Ogunnibi disclosed that he was assisted to whisk the businessman away by some operatives of the Department of State Security he was acquainted with.
His words, “Bala, (the victim) is a friend, he underpaid for a gold chain he bought from my brothers and when I confronted him, I was not satisfied with his explanation, hence, I decided to call people I know in the DSS to deal with him. Read more
Polio: Bauchi records 38 confirmed cases in 12 LGAs (Tribune)
With the resurgence of the Wild Poliovirus in the country after years of Polio-free satisfaction, Bauchi State has recorded a total of 38 confirmed cases of circulating Mutant Polio Virus Type 2 (Cmpv2) in 12 LGAS.
Out of the confirmed cases, 19 are from AFP, 13 from contact cases and 6 from the environmental samples with the affected LGAs to including Toro, Warji, Darazo, Misau, Dambam, Zaki, Jamaare, Alkaleri, Ganjuwa, Bauchi, Katagum and Shira.
The disclosure was made by the Executive Chairman of BASPHCDA, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed on Saturday while flagging off vaccination against the virus held at the PHC, Bayan Fada in Bauchi metropolis.
According to the BASPHCDA Executive Chairman, the target population is under 5 years with a total of 2,286,057 while the total vaccines (nopv2) so far received is 2,367,450.
All Creatures Great and Small renewed for Seasons 3 and 4 (TheWrap)
“All Creatures Great and Small” has been renewed for a third and fourth season, Masterpiece PBS announced Saturday.
Season 2 of the series that follows the heartwarming adventures of Scottish veterinarian James Herriot (Nicolas Ralph) premieres Sunday, Jan. 9. Set in 1938, the year before World War II began, the series’ sophomore year runs six episodes with an additional Christmas episode. The entirety of that season aired on the U.K.’s Channel 5 in late 2021.
Returning cast members include Samuel West, Callum Woodhouse, Anna Madeley and Rachel Shenton, as well as Matthew Lewis (“Harry Potter”), who plays jilted aristocrat Hugh Hulton. Actress Patricia Hodge (“Miranda,” “A Very English Scandal”) takes over the role of the eccentric Mrs. Pumphrey from the late Diana Rigg, who passed away in September 2020.
Seasons 3 and 4 will each have seven episodes, with location shooting beginning in Yorkshire in Spring 2022. Read more
Iranian filmmaker dies from COVID-19 despite prison furlough (ABC)
An award-winning Iranian filmmaker and poet who had been jailed on state security charges but was released on furlough after contracting COVID-19 died Saturday of the disease, Iranian media reported.
The Semi-official ISNA news agency said Baktash Abtin, 47, was released nearly a month ago and died in a Tehran hospital with family by his side. Last year he won a literary award by PEN America, a free speech advocacy group.
“Neglected within Iran’s Evin prison, his death was entirely preventable.” PEN America in a statement. “COVID is a natural killer, but Abtin’s death was aided and abetted by the Iranian government every step of the way.”
Abtin had been serving a six-year prison sentence, which Tehran’s prison department said Saturday had been for “Propaganda against national security.” Iranian media in the past had described his infractions as “activity against the Islamic Republic.”
Audrey Hepburn’s son Sean responds to news of Rooney Mara playing his mother in a new biopic (Independent)
Audrey Hepburn’s son has given Rooney Mara the seal of approval, after it was announced she has been cast to play his mother in a new biopic.
A film about the iconic Breakfast at Tiffany’s actor is in the works at Apple, with Oscar-nominated director Luca Guadagnino attached to the project. Mara, 36, will star as Hepburn and produce the movie.
“I was not aware of the project,” Sean Hepburn Ferrer told Fox News on Friday (7 January) when he was contacted about the project. “Rooney is a delight. Sounds like there is a lot of love there.”
Hepburn, who died aged 63 in 1993 from cancer, is adored around the world for her performances in Fifties and Sixties films such as Roman Holiday, Sabrina and My Fair Lady.
Playboi Carti follows Travis Scott’s lead by releasing his own action figures (HipHopDX)
Playboi Carti is blossoming into one of the biggest rap stars of this generation as his fans are pushing him further into the spotlight with everything he does. His latest endeavor to further cement his status as a leader of the new generation will have him jumping into new territory, and fans can’t wait to see what’s coming.
On Thursday (January 6), footage of Playboi Carti action figures began circulating online. The Atlanta rapper took a page out of Travis Scott’s book who also dropped an action figure early on in his career for his debut studio album Rodeo in 2015. Carti’s toys feature three different versions of his King Vamp persona from his Whole Lotta Red era. Fans will be able to dress and design the toys to their liking with an assortment of clothes and accessories at their disposal.
There’s no word on when these action figures will drop or if they’ll even be available to the public, but people are talking about the possible release all over social media. The last time any Carti-related merchandise hit social media, the rapper had all instances of it taken down when fans got their hands on leaked NARCISSIST merch photos.
While he could be getting ready to drop these action figures, Playboi Carti is surely busy working on new music. According to an Instagram post from Hit-Boy, the Atlanta native will be getting back in the studio with the Grammy Award-winning producer in 2022. Read more
Thom Yorke explains why political songwriting has died (FarOut)
Unlike their Britpop contemporaries, Radiohead always managed to stand a little outside the ‘Cool Britannia’ movement. While members of Oasis and Blur happily visited ten Downing Street to share a drink with the newly-elected Tony Blair, Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and the like stood on the margins, watching the party unfold with nervous anticipation. The same year that infamous gathering at number ten took place, Radiohead released OK Computer, an album that carries none of the optimism that had swept over the British Nation throughout the 1990s. Rather than looking outwards towards the future, Radiohead continued to cast its gaze inward, offering up a selection of introspective art-rock songs that were at once highly cerebral and intensely abstract.
In refusing to associate themselves with New Labour, Radiohead saved themselves from looking like prize twats when Blair eventually fell from his lofty perch in 2003; the year he joined President Bush in invading Iraq. It was in many ways a result of their mistrust of political systems, a mistrust that eked its way into Thom Yorke’s songwriting on OK Computer’s ‘Electioneering’ and actively defined the lyrical content on Hail To The Thief. However, since the release of In Rainbows, Yorke has been far less brazen about his political outlook, choosing to focus on more personal issues.
Describing the shift from political songwriting to more insular material in an interview with The New York Times, Yorke said: “Ten, 15, 20 years ago, there was a sense that saying political stuff in lyrics or talking about it in magazines had some significance. Now if you stray to the political, you get lost in a fast-moving stream, and if you stay within the realm of the personal, you feel insignificant. Art’s ability to engage in any significant way has changed. There’s a sense of paralysis when you watch this theatre of the absurd going on, politically speaking, and it doesn’t seem as if you can put your soul into that theatre, because that theatre has no soul. The subversion of truth and reality that we’re witnessing at the moment means that it would be dangerous for art to engage in them. It’s fucked up.”
Ah yes, the post-truth era. What Yorke seemed to hit upon in that interview was something that has had an immense impact not only on his own songwriting but also on the songwriting of young musicians from all quarters. Because of the complexity of political truth, and the terrifying realisation that we can live in our own political universe without ever doubting the legitimacy of our beliefs (see QAnon), songwriters perhaps feel less comfortable using their music to make grand political gestures. As Yorke notes, they are in a state of paralysis.
Hundreds gather in Lebanon’s capital to protest COVID-19 measures (TheHill)
Hundreds gathered in Beirut, Lebanon, on Saturday to protest new COVID-19 vaccine measures implemented by the government.
The government implemented new measures on Monday that require citizens to have a negative PCR test or be fully vaccinated to enter restaurants and other venues, The Associated Press reported.
Civil servants are also required to undergo regular PCR tests and get vaccinated to work.
PCR tests are difficult to obtain for Lebanese citizens due to their cost amid the country’s economic crisis. Read more
City Council GOP conference gears up for new year (NYPost)
They’re The Anti-Squad.
The City Council’s five Republicans — the largest GOP conference in decades — vowed to be a vanguard against soft-on-crime progressives who mirror the politics of left-wingers like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and her “Squad” in Congress.
“There are now five Republicans in the council who are going to be the voice countering the progressive wing of the Democratic Party,” said Inna Vernikov, a Trump die-hard and newly elected lawmaker from Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.
“We have an obligation to speak up for the 565,000 registered Republicans in this city. If they were an ethnic or religious group they would be one of the largest in New York. They deserve to have representation in City Hall as well,” Staten Island Councilman Joe Borelli — the new minority leader — told The Post. Read more
Chukwueze, Awoniyi, Iheanacho, other Eagles expected to shine at AFCON (DailyTrust)
The Super Eagles of Nigeria are in Cameroon where they will fight for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) title despite rocky preparations.
Aside the sacking of Gernot Rohr, withdrawal of key players days to the tournament means there is the need to dissect this hurriedly patched-up team with 13 tournament debutants for players that could be pivotal on the pitch and possibly lead Eagles to continental glory for the first time in nine years.
Samuel Chukwueze
The Villarreal winger comes into AFCON on form, having contributed 5 goals and 7 assists despite injury layoffs earlier in the season. The 22-year-old Diamond Academy graduate has quick feet and dribbling skills that could defeat opponents if well harnessed. The 2021 Europa league winner missed only one match in Eagles’ third-place finish at Egypt 2019, and his ability to tear down defences from the flank, set up scoring opportunities for his teammates and penchant for brilliant solo goals could lead Eguavoen’s team to unlikely glory in Cameroon. Read more
AFCON: Burkina Faso coach, 4 players test positive for COVID-19 (Punch)
Burkina Faso captain Bertrand Traore has deplored as “a scandal” coronavirus testing procedures at the Africa Cup of Nations after up to five players and coach Kamou Malo tested positive in the run-up to Sunday’s opener against hosts Cameroon.
The Aston Villa forward told a press conference in Yaounde on Saturday, “It’s a scandal, we cannot be deprived of first-team players 24 hours before the match.”
Assistant coach Firmin Sanou, standing in for Malo, said, “We have four or five Covid cases, mainly first team players, we’re not going to name names.”
“It calls everything into question, but we have confidence in the players who will replace them,” continued Sanou, who hit out at the organisation with two different medical teams arriving to test the team. Read more
Eyes on Eagles, Eguavoen as Africa Cup of Nations begins (Guardian)
After several moves by some European clubs to frustrate it, the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations will begin in Cameroun tomorrow.
The competition, which is the biggest gathering of African football stars, is holding against the backdrop of protest against its timing, which led to the refusal by some clubs to release players and how the host country, Cameroun, will curtain the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic from spreading. There is also security concerns over conflict in the country’s Anglophone regions over the yeas.
Cameroun hosted the women’s version of the competition in 2016 to test run some of the newly built facilities for the men’s tournament, which was originally scheduled for 2019. But the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stripped Cameroun of the honour, as the county was not ready. The 2019 AFCON, which was 32nd edition, eventually took place in Egypt.
Now, all the teams participating in the 33rd edition have settled down in their respective venues in Cameroun waiting for tomorrow’s opening match between the host, Indomitable Lions, and Stallions of Burkina Faso.
The Lions of Teranga, as the Senegalese national team is known, is Africa’s top-ranked side, and is seen as the team to beat alongside reigning champions, Algeria. Read more
Maskless Novak Djokovic pictured at awards ceremony a day after his legal team claim he tested positive for Covid (Metro)
Tennis star Novak Djokovic was pictured meeting and greeting fans and attending an awards ceremony in the days after his legal team claim he tested positive for Covid.
Djokovic’s lawyers say the world number one had a vaccine exemption to enter Australia and compete in this month’s Australian Open after contracting the virus in December.
In court documents supplied as part of Djokovic’s deportation appeal, it was stated that a PRC test confirmed the player tested positive on December 16.
But questions have been raised about the authenticity of Djokovic’s positive result after multiple pictures taken around and after that date emerged showing the 34-year-old mixing as normal in his native Serbia. Read more
Salah, Messi, Lewandowski for FIFA Best Player Award (Guardian)
FIFA has announced the final nominees for The Best FIFA Women’s Player and The Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year. Robert Lewandowski (Poland/FC Bayern München, Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain) and Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool FC) are the three nominees for the Best Men’s Player award.
The virtual awards ceremony will be broadcast live from the Home of FIFA in Zurich on January 17. FIFA Legends Kristine Lilly and Sami Khedira discussed the nominees during a live-streamed announcement event and analysed their chances of winning these prestigious prizes.
The final three nominees for The Best FIFA Women’s Player are:
Jennifer Hermoso (Spain/FC Barcelona), Sam Kerr (Australia/Chelsea FC Women) and
Alexia Putellas (Spain/FC Barcelona).
These two awards are given to the outstanding players in women’s and men’s football as voted for by an international jury respectively comprising the current coaches of all women’s/men’s national teams (one per team), the current captains of all women’s/men’s national teams (one per team), one specialist journalist from each territory represented by a national team and fans registered on FIFA.com. Read more
Ainsley Maitland-Niles speaks out after completing loan move from Arsenal to Roma (Metro)
Ainsley Maitland-Niles says he hopes to achieve ‘something great’ with Roma after joining the Serie A giants on loan from Arsenal until the end of the season.
The 24-year-old was limited to just two Premier League starts in the first half of the campaign with boyhood club Arsenal and had been keen to secure a temporary move with a view to boosting his first-team minutes.
Mikel Arteta blocked Maitland-Niles from joining Everton last summer and the England international could not hide his frustration at the time, saying ‘all I wanna to do is go where I’m wanted and where I’m gonna play’ on Instagram. Read more
Manchester United accept defeat in Erling Haaland race as he makes intentions clear (Metro)
Manchester United have taken a step back in the race to sign Erling Haaland this summer, with the Borussia Dortmund having his sights set on Real Madrid, according to reports.
The battle for the Norwegian looked set to be the story of the transfer window at the end of the season, with the prolific forward available for just €75m (£63m), given the release clause that will come into play in his contract.
Given that he has scored 76 goals in just 75 games for Dortmund since arriving in January 2019, every top club in Europe would be keen on bringing him in for what seems like a bargain price. Read more