I will go after Boko Haram sponsors, says presidential candidate (Nation)
The Presidential Candidate, Grassroots Development Party of Nigeria (GDPN), Dr. Davidson Akhimien, on Thursday unfolded his plans to end the Boko Haram insurgency in the country if elected in 2019. The Edo State-born candidate said to win the war against Boko Haram, he would concentrate on identifying and neutralizing sponsors of the terrorist group. Akhimien, who recently flagged off his campaign at Onuebum, Ogbia, Bayelsa State, said the conspiracy theories fueling insurgency in the North-East must be properly interrogated instead… Read more
2019: INEC tasks staff on productivity, credible elections (Nation)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on the commission’s desk officers to develop themselves for greater productivity for the forthcoming general elections to be more credible than that of 2015. Alhaji Umar Ibrahim, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Gombe State, made the call in Gombe on Thursday during the North East Capacity Building Workshop on `Voter Education’ for desk officers. Ibrahim, who was represented by his Administrative Secretary, Alhaji Abacha Bukar, said the success of any election largely depended… Read more
Human Rights Commission establishes 13 more state offices (Nation)
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has established 13 more state offices. The Executive Secretary of the commission, Tony Ojukwu, who disclosed this at an event jointly organised in Yola by the commission and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), said the new offices were opened to take the commission to every state as the commission hitherto had offices in 23 states. “Every state now has a state office as against 23 before. This year we established 13,… Read more
NASCON unveils Dangote classic seasoning cubes, curry (Nation)
NASCON Allied Plc, a subsidiary of the Dangote Industries Limited , on Thursday introduced a new classic seasoning cube which consumers have described as tasty and flavorful , with a unique taste and aroma. Executive Director, Commercial NASCON Allied Plc Hajiya Fatima Aliko Dangote described the new classic seasoning as a new innovation birthed after years of consumer led research and development, and urged distributors, marketers, eateries and consumers to immediately key into it. Speaking at the launch event in… Read more
El-Rufai, Lai Mohammed warn against fake news, hate speech (Nation)
…calls for legislation to contain menace ….it can’t save opposition from imminent defeat….Lai mohammed Governor Ahmed El-rufai and Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed have warned of the danger of fake news in the country ahead of the coming 2019 general election. Consequently, El-rufai urged the Federal Government to enact legislation that would grant jurisdiction to state judiciaries to handle cases of fake news and hate speeches. The current law in the country only grant the Federal… Read more
WAEC worries over abandoned certificates (Nation)
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) says it will deploy an Electronic Certificate Management System to facilitate issuance of certificates to candidates, to reduce the problem of abandoned certificates. The council’s Head, Public Affairs,Mr Damianus Ojijeogu disclosed this in an interview with our reporters on Thursday in Lagos. According to him, the online system will enable the council to print certificates of candidates only on request. “With this in place, it will assist the council in decongesting backlog of certificates… Read more
Applicant bags six months imprisonment for stealing chicken (Nation)
A Jos Upper Area Court 3, sitting in Kasuwan Nama, on Thursday, sentenced one Fahad Mohammed, a 20-year-old applicant, to six months imprisonment for theft. The Judge, Yahaya Mohammed, convicted Mohammed, after he pleaded guilty and was found to have committed the act of theft. Mohammed, however, gave the convict an option of N5, 000 fine. Read Also: Man bags two months imprisonment for stealing groceries Earlier, the police prosecutor, Insp. Labaran Ahmed told the court that the case was reported on… Read more
Katsina, Niger Republic reach agreement on border crimes (Nation)
The Katsina State Government and the Republic of Niger, particularly, Maradi Region, have signed a three-year bilateral work plan agreement that would help check activities of criminals operating along their common border corridors. The agreement is also aimed at boosting commerce with particular attention to agriculture, sector of which many people from both areas depend on as source of livelihood. The governor of Maradi, Engr. Zakari Oumar while speaking on Thurday during the flag-off held at Sir Usman Nagogo Polo… Read more
Christmas: Enugu traders embark on night trading for brisk business (Nation)
Barely two weeks to Christmas celebration, have dealers in all kinds of Christmas items taken over major markets and pedestrian walkways in Enugu, at night, to make brisk business. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondents who visited some of the markets and shopping malls in Enugu report that most of the traders were seen selling brocades, jewelry, shoes and sandals. Other items include ready-made clothes, weave-on, balloons and the traders stay deep into the night. Many of the traders… Read more
Police nab five man armed robbery gang in Katsina (Nation)
The Katsina State Police Command on Thursday arrested a five man armed robbery gang, who had been terrorizing Funtua in the southern part of the state and its environs recovering in the process, one locally fabricated rifle. The Police Public Relations Officer, PPPRO, in the state, Superintendent Isa Gambo, who signed a press release on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Wakil, said nemesis caught up with the suspects when they invaded the house of one Haruna Idris of… Read more
Police foils suicide bomb attack in Maiduguri (Nation)
The Police in Borno said its men had successfully foiled a lone suicide bomb attack on Wednesday night in Maiduguri. The Police Commissioner, Mr Damian Chukwu, told the News Agency of Nigeria on telephone that the incident occurred at about 8:30 pm in the outskirts of Maiduguri. Chukwu disclosed that a teenage female bomber attempted to infiltrate a security check point, before security men fired shot at her and the Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) vest strapped to her body exploded… Read more
Ghana university removes ‘racist’ Gandhi statue (BBC)
A controversial statue of Mahatma Gandhi, the famed Indian independence leader, has been removed from a university campus in Ghana’s capital, Accra. Students and lecturers told the AFP news agency it had been removed from the Legon campus of the University of Ghana overnight on Tuesday. The statue was unveiled by India’s former President Prana Mukherjee in 2016 to celebrate to strong ties between the two countries…Read more
DR Congo fire: 8,000 voting machines destroyed (BBC)
Many worry about the security of voting machines that are to be used in this month’s electionImage caption: Many worry about the security of voting machines that are to be used in this month’s election. At least 8,000 electronic voting machines are known to have been destroyed in the fire overnight at a depot in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. That is more than two-thirds of the number needed for the capital city’s four million voters. Other electoral material was also destroyed. The president of DR Congo’s National Electoral Commission (Ceni) called this a serious blow, but he added that officials would do everything they could to maintain the vote on 23 December. Read more
Zuma ordered to refund the state for his legal fees (BBC)
The state has spent more than $1m on his legal fees since 2006Image caption: The state has spent more than $1m on his legal fees since 2006. South Africa’s embattled former President Jacob Zuma will have to pay back the money provided for his legal fees. The state has paid between $1m (£90,000) and $2.2m in legal costs for Mr Zuma over the past decade. A High Court ruling has instructed the state attorney to recover the money. In addition, Mr Zuma will also have to find the money to pay his lawyers in his ongoing corruption case, which has been adjourned until May next year…Read more
Brexit: Theresa May asking EU for backstop ‘assurances’ (BBC)
Theresa May has said she will be showing EU leaders the “legal assurances” she believes MPs want before they will back her deal. The prime minister is in Brussels for an EU summit after surviving a vote of confidence organised by her own MPs. She believes she can get her MPs to back her Brexit deal if she can ease their fears about the “backstop” plan to avoid a manned Irish border….Read more
Canadian Michael Spavor detained in China as Huawei row continues (BBC)
A second Canadian has been detained in China on accusations of harming national security, as tension continues between the two countries. It was confirmed on Thursday that Michael Spavor, a businessman, had been detained in addition to former diplomat Michael Kovrig. Canada drew Chinese protests after it arrested an executive at telecoms giant Huawei at the request of the US….Read more
Chelsea’s Maurizio Sarri brands alleged racial abuse of Raheem Sterling ‘disgusting’ (ESPN)
Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri condemned the alleged racist abuse suffered by Manchester City star Raheem Sterling at Stamford Bridge as “disgusting” and backed the club’s firm stance. Sterling reportedly confirmed to police that he was subjected to racist abuse during Saturday’s game, and on Tuesday, Chelsea suspended four supporters from attending games “pending further investigations” into the incident….Read more
Pochettino’s stadium hopes (BBC Sports)
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is hopeful of Spurs being able to play the home leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at their new stadium. The club confirmed on Wednesday that the Premier League clash against Manchester United on January 13 would be played at Wembley, as the delays in the opening of the new stadium continue. “I hope and wish to play our first leg at the new stadium. Now I don’t know if it is going to be there or at Wembley. We need to wait but my hope and wish is to play the first leg at the new stadium,” Pochettino said. Tottenham will face one of Paris St Germain, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Porto or Juventus in the first knock-out phase….Read more
Rent Cast Revealed: See Vanessa Hudgens, Jordan Fisher and More in Character (E! Online)
It seems we’ve been waiting 525,600 minutes for Rent to debut on Fox. However, now we have your first look at the cast in all their bohemian glory ahead of the Sunday, Jan. 27 premiere on Fox. Below, see Kiersey Clemons, Brandon Victor Dixon, Jordan Fisher, Vanessa Hudgens, Mario, Brennin Hunt, Tinashe and Valentina in character for Rent, the acclaimed musical from Jonathan Larson that won four Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, six Drama Desk Awards and was nominated for a Grammy. In addition to the aforementioned cast, Waitress and The Greatest Showman breakout Keala Settle will perform “Seasons of Love,” one of the show’s most famous songs, and join the ensemble of the live musical….Read more