Lagos warns against vandalism of highway wire panels (Punch)
The Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, has urged residents who are involved in the vandalisation of highway wire mesh panels to desist from such actions.
He said this while condemning the vandalism of newly installed highway wire mesh panels in some parts of the state.
Speaking with correspondents in Lagos, he said some of the highway wire mesh panels around Adekunle towards the Third Mainland Bridge Ramp and Oko Baba areas had been vandalised.
The commissioner blamed saw millers at Oko Baba for the vandalism of the fence. Read more
#EndSARS: Reopening Lekki tollgate insensitive to memories of those who died -Panel member (Punch)
Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, the representative of civil society on the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing the alleged killing of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki tollgate, has faulted the reopening of the tollgate.
He explained that reopening the Lekki tollgate is insensitive to those who died.
The PUNCH had reported that soldiers opened live ammunition on some #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki toll plaza on October 20, 2020, leaving many injured and dead.
The lawyer made his position known while giving his dissenting opinion on an application by Lekki Concession Company to take over toll plazas one and two for insurance claims and to maintain security threat. Read more
LASEMA rescues man from committing suicide in Ikeja (Independent)
The Director General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, says the agency has rescued a man who attempted suicide at National Bus Stop, Ikeja.
Oke-Osanyintolu made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
According to him, the man allegedly fell from a height with a view of suicide attempt on Saturday and a distress call was made to the emergency agency.
He said that the alleged ‘suicider’ was rescued by LASEMA officials alive. Read more
Apprehension as cultists resume violence in Lagos-Ogun border communities (Nation)
Residents of Alakuko, a Lagos-Ogun border community have been enveloped with fear following resumed cult violence.
It was gathered that the community has not known peace since Wednesday after rival cult groups went berserk from what began as a street fight.
Sources said the hoodlums had since carried their violence to Dalemo, Moshalashi and other nearby bus stops in Alakuko where they looted shops and allegedly set a gas station ablaze.
A resident, who spoke to The Nation, alleged that at least two persons were killed but could not provide names or details of the deceased. Read more
Lekki: Sanwo-Olu yet to hand over camera ‘found’ by Fashola to #EndSARS panel – Adegboruwa (Punch)
Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, the representative of civil society on the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing the alleged killing of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki tollgate, has revealed that the camera found by Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has not been handed over to the panel.
Fashola, had on Sunday, October 25, 2020, while conducting a tour of the toll plaza alongside governors and ministers from the South-West, supposedly discovered a camera at the toll plaza five days after the shooting of unarmed #EndSARS protesters by soldiers.
He subsequently gave the camera to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who promised to hand it over to the judicial panel.
While handing over the camera to Sanwo-Olu after picking it up with the aid of a handkerchief, Fashola had said, “I think this will help with the ongoing investigations into the shootings at the Lekki Toll Gate. It requires forensic analysis and could be used in the investigations to unravel the mystery surrounding the shootings at the Toll Gate, I believe. Read more
Sanwo-Olu bags best tourism governor award (Independent)
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has bagged the best Tourism Governor award following his numerous contributions to the growth of domestic tourism in the state.
This was announced during the 2020 edition of the Nigeria Tourism award ceremony, known as the Belearica Awards, organised virtually by the Nigeria Travel Week.
Mr Efetobo Awhana, Organiser of the event, disclosed that Gov. Sanwo-Olu deserved the award because he is the only Governor to establish a tourism support fund following the devastating effect of COVID-19 on the industry.
Awhana said that the Governor also prioritised tourism policies among some other positive tourism initiatives implemented in the state. Read more
FG owes varsity workers over N150b earned allowances (Tribune)
The Federal Government is owing the university workers, under the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Union of Universities and Associated Institutions (NASU), over N150 billion earned allowances.
The money spans over nine years of unpaid allowances, as the government has not been able to pay since 2011 to date; as jointly agreed in the 2009 agreement signed by the Federal Government with the respective unions.
While the NAAT members were owed N71 billion since 2011, SSANU and NASU said their members, under the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU were owed over N81 billion, also since 2011.
The three unions have demanded for the payment of the earned allowances; and coupled with other contentious issues such as IPPIS and general poor state of the university system, two of the unions, SSANU and NASU have declared industrial actions. Read more
Buhari seeks comprehensive overhaul of AU (ThisDay)
President Muhammadu Buhari has called for a comprehensive overhaul of the structures and operations of the African Union (AU) for it to be more functional in meeting set targets and relevance, warning that failure to do so will result in the organisation becoming stale.
Speaking during the day two of the 34th Annual Summit of the African Union held virtually, the President, according to a release on Sunday by his Media Assistant, Garba Shehu, told his colleagues that global realities demand that the AU must undergo comprehensive reform for it to remain relevant in intergovernmental processes.
He said: “As your excellences are no doubt aware, global realities demand that the AU be overhauled, if it must remain relevant in intergovernmental processes. We must work concertedly to ensure a productive, self-sufficient and purpose driven organization that will fully serve the interests of the people.
“As we commence the operationalization of this new structure and system, Nigeria demands a truly reformed, efficient and effective AU Commission, one that is fully committed to the discharge of its duties and responsibilities.’’ Read more
Makinde, loyalists exit PDP Whatsapp group, gov considering ADC as alternative (Independent)
Indications emerged at the weekend that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State may dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of 2023 general elections.
Makinde won the gubernatorial election on the platform of PDP in 2019 when he defeated All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr Adebayo Adelabu.
A chieftain of PDP who spoke in confidence with DAILY INDEPENDENT on Sunday, said Governor Makinde will leave PDP if the south west zonal congress did not favour him.
He stressed that the Governor wants to use local government election as a ploy to put the ADC on a vantage position ahead of 2023 general elections by allowing ADC to win some of the chairmanship and councilorship seats. Read more
Former “Loose Women” star Saira Khan says she pretended to be practicing Muslim to ‘make family happy’ (Metro)
Saira Khan has revealed she pretended to be a practicing Muslim to ‘make my family happy’. The TV star, who quit her role on Loose Women last month, said she now has the ‘courage’ to be honest after living her life ‘tinged with guilt’. ‘My milestones have always been tinged with shame and guilt – marrying Steve, being on the telly talking about my life, adopting a child, and not following Islamic rules on inheritance rights,’ she told The Mirror. ‘As a 50-year-old educated, independent woman with my own family and life experiences, I now have the courage to say that I’m not practising. Read more
Ecuadoreans choose president amid economic turmoil (BBC)
Voters in Ecuador are going to the polls to choose a new president and all members of the National Assembly.
The country is reeling from the Covid pandemic, which has killed 15,000 people in the nation of 17m people.
With the economy in the doldrums, many voters say they are more preoccupied with day-to-day survival than with politics.
Nearly 50% remain undecided on who to opt for out of the 16 presidential candidates, one survey suggests. Read more
US must lift all sanctions, Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei insists (DW)
Iran’s top religious and political leader has set the lifting of all US sanctions as a prerequisite for the country’s return to the nuclear deal abandoned by Donald Trump.
The Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday insisted that the US must first lift all sanctions as a prerequisite for the Islamic Republic to return to the 2015 nuclear deal.
“If they want Iran to return to its commitments … America must completely lift sanctions, and not just in words or on paper,” Khamenei said in a televised address to air force commanders. Read more
Church of Satan denounces Big Tech in hilarious tweet (NYPost)
Even Christians and Satanists agree — Big Tech is bad.
The Church of Satan is publicly distancing itself from Big Tech — on Twitter, naturally — after the CEO of the controversial social media company Gab claimed the industry is “serving Satan.”
“Big Tech does a lot of things. We can assure you, ‘serving Satan’ isn’t one of them,” The Church of Satan tweeted Saturday.
The hilarious declaration was made in response to a blog post by Gab CEO Andrew Torba earlier this week, in which he urged his followers to take part in a “silent Christian secession.” Read more
Utah avalanche: Four skiers killed after snowslide near Salt Lake City (BBC)
Four skiers have been killed following an avalanche at a popular recreation area in the US state of Utah, officials say.
A further four people were injured in the incident, which happened on Saturday at Millcreek Canyon near Salt Lake City.
All of the eight caught in the avalanche knew one another and were aged between 23 and 38.
It is the joint deadliest avalanche in the history of the state. Read more
UN says Eritrean refugees in Tigray face humanitarian crisis (VOA)
The UN refugee agency is warning that thousands of Eritrean refugees in northern Ethiopia’s conflict-ridden Tigray province are in desperate need of aid and protection. The agency is renewing its appeal to the government for access to the refugees.
Before the start of Ethiopia’s military offensive in Tigray in early November, the UN refugee agency cared for some 96,000 Eritrean refugees in four camps. Since then, the agency has lost control of the camps and of its ability to provide essential aid to the refugees.
Since early January, Ethiopia has granted UN and private agencies limited access to two camps in southern Tigray. The World Food Program reports it has been able to provide 26,000 residents of the camp with emergency food rations and nutrition assistance, but it says much more food and nonfood aid is needed. Read more
India: Scores feared dead after Himalayan glacier breaks (DW)
Up to 150 people are missing in India’s northern Uttarakhand state after a Himalayan glacier partially broke up, causing heavy flooding.
Three people were confirmed dead and at least 150 were missing after a Himalayan glacier broke and caused major floods in northern India on Sunday.
“We have located at least three dead bodies on the river bed. Our last update puts the missing person number at 150, and there are 16 or 17 persons trapped inside a tunnel,” a police spokesperson in Uttarakhand state told AFP. Read more
Leon Spinks: Ex-heavyweight champion who shocked Muhammad Ali dies aged 67 (BBC)
Former world heavyweight champion Leon Spinks has died aged 67.
The American achieved a famous upset win over Muhammad Ali in 1978, in just his eighth professional fight.
He had suffered with health issues in his later years and was diagnosed with advanced stage prostate cancer in 2019.
“His final fight was fought with the same skill, grace and grit that had carried him through so many lifetime challenges,” said a statement from his management company.
The former US marine died on Friday evening in Henderson, Nevada, with his wife Brenda Glur Spinks by his side. Read more
Inside the wacky, extreme regimen that keeps Tom Brady forever young (NYPost)
If his Tampa Bay Buccaneers win tonight’s Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs, Tom Brady will not only break his own record as the NFL quarterback with the most SB victories — he’s already at six — he’ll also be the oldest QB to take the trophy.
If his Tampa Bay Buccaneers win tonight’s Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs, Tom Brady will not only break his own record as the NFL quarterback with the most SB victories — he’s already at six — he’ll also be the oldest QB to take the trophy.NY Post
Back in 2014, questions were being asked about just how long then-37-year-old Tom Brady could carry on playing pro football — and the quarterback wasn’t happy. “When I suck, I’ll retire,” he said. “[But] I don’t plan on sucking for a long time.”
Nearly seven years on and Tom Brady will, on Sunday evening, attempt to break his own record as the oldest QB ever to win a Super Bowl when his Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the reigning champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, on the Bucs’ home turf.
Suffice to say, Brady is one of a kind, a phenomenon who shows no sign of slowing down any time soon in a sport where longevity is rare. That’s why he landed a two-year, $50 million deal with Tampa last March, making it likely he’ll still be playing when he’s 45.
Put simply, Brady is an obsessive — a man with a plan and the determination (and money) to execute it, as John Burns, CEO of Brady’s TB12 health and wellness organization, explains. Read more
Harry Kane returns to spark Tottenham victory against West Brom (Guardian)
When Harry Kane is missing, Tottenham play like a team without a brain. Everything feels more coherent when he is on the pitch. Son Heung-min comes alive on the left wing, darting into space, hunting opportunities and giving defenders nightmares. Everyone grows in stature and, with a crisis brewing in the background, it was easy to see why José Mourinho decided to gamble on Kane’s fitness against West Brom, bringing him back less than a fortnight after the England captain injured both ankles against Liverpool.
In truth there is little to learn in victory against a side as bad as Sam Allardyce’s West Brom, who look doomed to relegation already. But this much is clear: if Spurs are to qualify for the Champions League, they need Kane to stay fit. They had toiled in his absence, suffering three consecutive defeats, and were inspired when he returned. Inevitably it was Kane who displayed the composure to defeat West Brom, coolly opening the scoring before Son clinched the points, and there were even signs of more ambition from Mourinho, whose caution has been holding Spurs back. Read more
Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League hopes dented in Freiburg (DW)
Borussia Dortmund have a problem. The man they’ve chosen to replace the fired coach Lucien Favre is struggling badly, and with most of their top six rivals winning, Dortmund’s qualification for Champions League football — the bare minimum requirement — is starting to look doubtful.
Dortmund’s performance in Freiburg was dire and, at times, desperate. Erling Haaland was anonymous, Jadon Sancho was ineffective, and Marwin Hitz, Dortmund’s second choice goalkeeper, was guilty of a howler that allowed the game to get away from them.
Freiburg coach Christian Streich had never beaten Dortmund in 16 attempts, but his maiden win against them was well-earned and relatively comfortable. A wondrous strike by Woo-Yeong Jeong early in the second half set the tone for Freiburg, and just three minutes later, Jonathan Schmidt’s speculative long-range shot crept past Hitz, who miscalculated the angle. A late Youssoufa Moukoko consolation did little more than raise hopes before they were ultimately dashed. Read more
Liverpool’s Champions League clash against RB Leipzig to be held in Budapest (Metro)
Liverpool’s Champions League last-16 first leg clash against RB Leipzig will be played in Budapest, Hungary due to coronavirus protocols preventing the Germans from hosting the fixture. Germany have recently banned all arrivals from areas affected by new Covid-19 mutations and the United Kingdom heads the list, given the spread of the Kent and South African variants across the four nations. Leipzig held talks with Spurs over hosting the first leg in London but they were unable to come to an agreement. The Germans then looked at a neutral venue and the Puskas Arena in Budapest is listed as such by UEFA. Read more
Saudi International: Dustin Johnson wins by 2 shots from Justin Rose and Tony Finau (BBC)
World number one Dustin Johnson won the Saudi International by two shots from his American compatriot Tony Finau and England’s Justin Rose.
Johnson, 34, retained his composure with a final-round 68 to clinch the title for the second time in three years as he finished on 15 under par.
“I’m really excited about the rest of the year,” said the Masters champion.Rose set the clubhouse target after a five-under 65, with Scot Calum Hill and France’s Victor Perez a shot behind. Read more
