Lagos collapsed building: Body of IT student recovered, as death toll rises to 5 (Sun)
The body of a student on industrial training was, on Sunday evening, recovered from the collapsed three-story building at Yaba area of Lagos, thus raising the death toll to five.
Zonal Coordinator, South-West of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed the development to newsmen in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that relatives of the IT student, simply identified as Damola, told the emergency rescue team that their son reported to duty the day the building collapsed and had yet to be found.
NAN also reports that the clue came about the time rescue and recovery operation was to be concluded, having rescued two persons and recovered four bodies from the rubbles of the collapsed building. Read more
Lagos to build ICT centre for school (Punch)
The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has announced his plan to build an Information Communication Technology centre for his alma-mater, Odu Abore Memorial Primary School, Mushin.
Hamzat said this, according to a statement on Sunday, during the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the school.
He said, “I intend to build an ICT centre in this school because that is what made me what I have become in life today. Building this centre in the school will be a good one and I hope the school will take good care of it and maximise its potential.
“It is our responsibility to take care of the children and this we must do very well and also tell them that there is no shortcut to success in life, rather they should be hardworking and always put in their best in whatever they do.” Read more
APM Terminals Apapa worker rescues 2 drowning fishermen as boat capsizes (Guardian)
A security guard with APM Terminals Apapa, Lucky Edafe, has rescued two fishermen who were in danger of drowning as their boat capsized.
The boat of the fishermen, according to a social media post by APM Terminals Apapa, had capsized due to rough tide, as the tide washed them to the Apapa berth where they hung onto the jetty fenders, calling for help.
“Edafe sighted them and was able to rescue the fishermen with the help of their paddling stick,” APM Terminals said.
The company said Edafe, who is a security guard at the terminal, displayed outstanding commitment to duties by his heroic act. Read more
Fuel sells for N400/litre in Abuja, others, scarcity persists in Lagos (Punch)
Residents of Abuja and neighbouring states of Niger and Nasarawa are still facing tough times sourcing for Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, with the commodity selling for as high as N400/litre by black marketers.
The development came almost one week after the import of millions of dirty PMS from Europe into Nigeria disrupted the fuel supply system of the country, leading to long queues nationwide.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has ordered the recall of the contaminated fuel but oil marketers have been battling various challenges, ranging from PMS supply shortage to complaints by consumers who claimed the bad product has damaged their vehicles.
However, findings show on Sunday that black marketers who sell petrol in jerry-cans are now the easily accessible suppliers of PMS in Abuja and neighbouring states. Read more
CaCovid to support fight against insecurity with N100b (Nation)
The Coalition Against COVID-19 (CaCovid), a private-sector coalition, has put together N100 billion to support security agencies.
Chairman, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Mr. Tony Elumelu made this disclosure in Abuja at the biannual UBA Group Chairman’s Forum 2022.
According to Elumelu, the fund shows how passionate and patriotic members of the coalition are to see Nigeria develop.
“The N100 billion was gathered for the security agencies because we believe that if they are well-armed and protected it will go a long way in helping to assure security in Nigeria,” Elumelu said. Read more
FCT Area Council Polls: APC, PDP win in Gwagwalada, Kuje (Leadership)
The chairmanship candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Jibrin Abubakar, has won the Gwagwalada Area Council election held on Saturday.
The returning officer, Prof. Iliyasu Umar, said Abubakar polled 11,125 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mohammed Kasim of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 9,597 votes.
Meanwhile, in Kuje Area Council, the incumbent chairman, Suleiman Sabo of the PDP polled 13,301 votes to defeat the APC candidate, Sarki Hamidu, who got 7,694 votes.
The INEC returning officer for the election, Sule Magaji, announced the results in favour of the PDP chairman candidate. Read more
How Tinubu saved Atiku, Ribadu in past elections – Sen Shettima (DailyTrust)
Former Governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima, has explained how the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, acted as a “saviour” for former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Trust, Shettima said after being harassed and kicked out from their respective parties, Atiku Abubakar and Nuhu Ribadu were given a platform to recontest for elections by Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said, “It is pertinent to mention that when former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, was harassed, brutalised and chased out of the PDP, even some of our northern brothers were treating him as a pariah, it was Asiwaju Bola Tinubu that provided him with a sanctuary and platform to contest the 2007 presidential election.
“Again, four years later, he provided the same platform to another harassed northerner, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to contest for the presidency under the ACN.” Read more
Comedy is big business, my talent paying off – Romeo WJ (Guardian)
Entertainment is a huge industry and in the three largest markets in the world, Hollywood, Bollywood and Nollywood, the sector is a contributor to the gross domestic product in their respective countries. In Nigeria, film and comedy are the industry movers and talents are cashing-in on a grand scale.
One of such is Adokiye Fubara David West Horsfall, better known as Romeo WJ, who made his entrance into stand-up comedy in Nigeria professionally in 2016.
For emphasis sake, comedy in Nigeria, particularly skit making, is designed for acts who are super talented. ‘The talented’ are the ones who can survive the constant battle for recognition and produce highly captivating, creative contents; a thing that has Romeo WJ stand-out among the rest.
Romeo WJ, who is a success story today in the creative sector, has on many occasions emphasised the essence of talent as a criteria for making it like himself, through doggedness and consistency. Read more
22-year-old Nigerian writer set to take over book writing industry (Vanguard)
Roli Hazel is a multi talented writer that has enjoyed unparalleled success in her writing career.
The first jaw dropping moment came with the release of her Audio book titled “I love you” in May which surpassed 657,000 streams in less than three weeks after release. Making her the most streamed Nigerian spoken word artist.
The anticipated release of her Audio book in the United States is already registering a pre order for 12 million copies.
Significantly, the most outstanding feat being her book “A penny for a tale” credited as the first ever epistolary novel in WhatsApp format. Read more
Death on the Nile cruises to N.America box office lead (France24)
Death on the Nile cruised to the top of the North American box office in its opening weekend, showing the continuing lure of a good old-fashioned Agatha Christie murder mystery, according to industry data Sunday.
The movie from 20th Century Studios — the third based on Christie’s 1937 novel of the same name — took in an estimated $12.8 million for the Friday-to-Sunday period, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported.
“This is a fair opening, with a couple of asterisks,” said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. The asterisks: Sunday’s widely watched football Super Bowl always depresses filmgoing, and coronavirus-hit Hollywood is still battling its way back from the Omicron surge.
“Death on the Nile” stars and was directed by Kenneth Branagh as perspicacious Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, a role he also played in his “Murder on the Orient Express.”
Valentine’s Day: 10 best rom-coms to stream and where to find them (Metro)
Valentine’s Day 2022 is upon us!
While some may choose to mark the date with a swanky dinner, others prefer a cosy night in – and we are here to provide you with the best film fodder for your eyes.
We’ve avoided the most obvious suggestions such as When Harry Met Sally, Pretty Woman and Four Weddings and a Funeral (we assume you’re well versed on those if you clicked on this article).
Instead, below you’ll find a range of brand-new, quirky or old-school Hollywood classic rom-coms to enjoy, however (and with whoever) you’re celebrating February 14.
From Marilyn Monroe to Bill Murray and Ryan Gosling, there’s something for everyone. Read more
We have an awesome music industry but it can get better – Kofi Karikari (MyJoy)
Gospel musician, Kofi Karikari, has said Ghana does not only have a slew of great music talents but a very vibrant music scene that is cherished by many across the globe.
According to him, the entertainment and music industry has come far and keeps getting better by the day.
In an interview on Joy FM’s ‘The Reason is Jesus’ on Sunday, February 13, the songwriter added that the industry is large but still needs a number of things to spur its growth to the ultimate level.
“A lot of people laid the foundation and some people picked it up and took it a notch higher and it’s still growing. I believe that we have an awesome industry, it can only get better,” he told host of the show, Fifi Folson. Read more
Egypt’s new talent show El-Dom kicks-off with celebrities’ attendance (Ahram)
Egypt’s mega production company United Media Service (UMS) kicked off their big talent show program – El-Dom – on its ONTV network on Friday, which was attended by dozens of renowned media makers and artists.
Under guidance of the culture and sports ministries, 200 participants were selected from 27 governorates to compete in three categories: singing, acting and TV presenting.
Through three stages of competitions, participants will showcase their talents to the juries and the crowd. Two winners in each category will be granted the opportunity to take part in the various UMS productions that have come to dominate in the country in recent years.
Over 12 weekly episodes, El-Dom juries, comprising renowned artists from various disciplines, will judge the talents of the participants selected from over 200,000 applicants. Read more
Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson tapped to host ‘American Song Contest’ (TheWrap)
Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson will host the upcoming musical competition series “American Song Contest” from the producers of “Eurovision Song Contest” and “The Voice,” NBC announced on Sunday.
The live series, which was inspired by Europe’s 65-year-old Eurovision contest, will run for eight weeks on Monday nights starting March 11 with the winner being crowned on May 9.
Snoop Dogg, who performed Sunday in the Super Bowl halftime show with Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar, said in a statement, “I am honored to host ‘American Song Contest’ alongside my lil sis Kelly Clarkson, aka Miss Texas.”
Clarkson added, “I have been a fan and love the concept of Eurovision and am thrilled to bring the musical phenomenon to America. I’m so excited to work with Snoop and can’t wait to see every state and territory represented by artists singing their own songs.” Read more
Eminem kneels during Super Bowl halftime show performance (Independent)
In a display of defiance against the NFL, Eminem knelt during his performance at the Super Bowl halftime show.
The rapper took a knee at the end of a rendition of “Lose Yourself”, which also included Dr Dre, and Anderson .Paak on drums.
Eminem had apparently mentioned the idea of kneeling ahead of his performance, but had been asked to avoid doing so by Super Bowl organisers.
The form of protest by kneeling was brought to the NFL by Colin Kaepernick, who first began sitting silently on benches during the national anthem, at the start of the 2016 season on 26 August. Read more
Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift set for highest new entry on Official Singles Chart (OfficialCharts)
Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift look set to claim this week’s highest new entry at Number 2 with The Joker and the Queen; following Ed’s show-stopping BRIT Awards performance of the track. The single could out-peak the pair’s last collaboration Everything Has Changed, which managed Number 7 in 2012.
But could it be the UK’s new Number 1? Current chart-topper We Don’t Talk About Bruno is currently on-track to make it a five-week run at the top in the UK, though Ed and Taylor pose a real threat to Encanto’s reign this week.
US actress and singer Dove Cameron could also claim her first-ever UK Top 20 single this week. Boyfriend is looking at a strong debut on the chart at Number 15 after the track’s success on TikTok saw its release pulled forwards.
Elsewhere in the First Look Top 10, Lost Frequencies and Calum Scott’s collaboration Where Are You Now holds tight in the Number 5 position, Sam Fender’s Seventeen Going Under rebounds one place to Number 6 following his BRITs performance and Best Alternative/Rock Act win, and Belters Only and Jazzy’s Make Me Feel Good continues to rise, currently sitting at Number 7. Read more
Okocha warns Super Eagles playoff against Ghana not an easy game (ThisDay)
Ahead of Nigeria’s 2022 FIFA World Cup playoffs with Ghana next month, former Super Eagles Captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha has warned that any match between both countries is a difficult one that must be given all it takes for the country’s flag to be hoisted in Qatar.
Okocha insisted that the game is more of a pride and a bragging right that the Super Eagles can not afford to fail in the mission to get the ticket.
“Ghana versus Nigeria match is never an easy one. It is more about the rivalry, it is a pride match and a bragging right one,” began Okocha who is a legend of the senior Nigerian team.
Speaking in Lagos yesterday, Okocha said it doesn’t matter whether Eagles play beautiful or ugly football to get the ticket. Read more
Former Socceroos head coach gets sacked (FTBL)
Ex-Socceroos head coach Bert van Marwijk has lost his job as head coach of the United Arab Emirates.
The United Arab Emirates have fired head coach Bert van Marwijk. The former Socceroos top man has led the UAE to their current third placed position in AFC Third Round World Cup qualification Group A, outside an automatic qualification position.
With only 9 points after eight Third Round Group A games, the UAE will not automatically qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Iran and South Korea received the two qualification spaces in the group and confirmed their tickets in the last international window.
The UAE could still qualify through an inter-continental play-off. However, they would have to do well against Iraq and South Korea, whom they have previously drawn and lost against in this round. They would also have to hope that no other nation overtakes them and claim their current third place position. Read more
Luuk de Jong salvages late draw for Barcelona at Espanyol (France24)
Barcelona started and finished strongly on Sunday night but sagged in between and drew 2-2 at less fashionable neighbours Espanyol to cling on to fourth place in La Liga.
Pedri gave Barcelona a second minute lead but Sergi Darder levelled after 40 minutes and set up Raul de Tomas for a counter-attack goal after 64 minutes.
With time running out, Luuk de Jong headed an equaliser that saved a point for Barcelona, but they still ended the weekend 15 points behind leaders Real Madrid.
Barcelona applied brisk pressure from the start and quickly gained a reward. Read more
Jermaine Jenas blasts Davinson Sanchez for his ‘Shocking’ performance in Tottenham’s 2-0 loss against Wolves (DailyMail)
Jermaine Jenas has labelled Tottenham defender Davinson Sanchez’ performance against Wolves as ‘shocking’.
Antonio Conte’s side lost ground in the race for the European places on Sunday, losing 2-0 to Bruno Lage’s outfit and dropping to eighth, with Wolves now a point ahead of them.
And Jenas claimed Spurs have missed the nous and experience of centre half Eric Dier, whose stock has gone ‘through the roof’ as their defence crumbles without him.
He said: ‘It was poor, really poor. The game was gone in the first half, defensively all over the place. A lot of Spurs fans are sitting there thinking ‘what’s going on?’. Defensively in the last couple of games they’ve been wide open, there for the taking. Wolves took them apart. The mistakes that are being made… Read more
Scottie Scheffler claims first PGA Tour title after outlasting Patrick Cantlay in WM Phoenix Open playoff (ESPN)
Scottie Scheffler was even par Sunday and 3 strokes behind after bogeying the par-3 12th in the WM Phoenix Open.
“If you would have told me on 13 tee I was going to be in a playoff, I would have been pleased,” Scheffler said. “I felt a little bit out of it at that point.”
He got back into it quickly and, two hours later, made a 25-foot birdie putt on the third hole of a playoff with Patrick Cantlay to win his first PGA Tour title.
“I’ve been playing great and I was getting so frustrated because I was scoring so poorly,” Scheffler said. “To kind of put things together yesterday and get through all the mistakes I made today and still pull it out is pretty amazing.” Read more
Rams beat Bengals to win Super Bowl 2022 (CNN)
The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday.
The suspenseful game ended with a fourth down stop by the Rams to win it all. The big game took place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It was the second time in Super Bowl history a team played on its home field. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the first team to do so, last year at Raymond James Stadium.
The Rams controlled much of the first half, with receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Cooper Kupp scoring the first two touchdowns of the day. The Bengals answered back late in the second quarter with a trick play that led to a touchdown and an interception by safety Jessie Bates III.
Beckham — one of the premiere Rams receivers — left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury, according to the Rams’ official Twitter account. Read more
Artur Beterbiev vs Joe Smith to take place at MSG in New York in late June, says Arum (BoxingScene)
A three-belt light heavyweight unification showdown between Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr. appears imminent to take place this summer, Top Rank boss Bob Arum has revealed.
“That will take place in June primarily because of Ramadan. Beterbiev is very, very religious. He can’t fight during Ramadan [from April 2 to May 2]. After it’s over, he has to start training, so that would be the beginning of May. We’re making that fight for Madison Square Garden at the end of June,” Arum told IFL.
Arum co-promotes both Beterbiev, 37, and Smith, 32. The IBF and WBC champion Beterbiev (17-0, 17 KOs) and WBO crownholder Smith (28-3, 22 KOs) have both expressed intent to fight each other after each boxer remained victorious in their recent bouts.
Beterbiev survived a nasty gash across his forehead to stop Marcus Browne in December, while Smith scored a win against late-replacement foe Steve Geffrard in January. Both fighters knocked out their opponents in the ninth round. Read more