Lagos committed to mass housing delivery, to deliver additional 3,004 units – Sanwo-Olu (Guardian)
The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday affirmed his administration’s commitment to affordable mass housing delivery through models that incorporate private sector partnership and local content while creating jobs.
Sanwo-Olu represented by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat during the celebration of the 2020 World Habitat Day with the Theme: ‘Housing for all; a better urban future’- said the shelter was part of his vision.
He said the current and projected future population of Lagos State presented huge opportunities for investors in the housing sector and a compelling need for urban renewal.
“Our pact with Lagosians as contained in our T.H.E.M.E.S agenda under the fourth pillar is to ensure a significant reduction in the housing deficit through the provision of affordable and decent housing. Read more
Wrong definitions: We’ve updated our dictionaries, Oxford tells Lagos court (Punch)
University of Oxford, United Kingdom, publisher of Oxford English Dictionary, has urged the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere to dismiss a lawsuit filed against it by a Nigerian lawyer, Emmanuel Ofoegbu, seeking N10m damages.
The UK university said it could not be held liable for the loss of professional reputation and embarrassment, which the Nigerian lawyer claimed to have suffered after relying on the definitions of the words “mortgagee’’ and “mortgagor” in the 1999 edition of the Oxford English Mini Dictionary to offer legal advice.
The Nigerian lawyer, in his suit, claimed that the publisher mixed up the two words, by wrongly defining “mortgagee’’ as the borrower in a mortgage transaction, and “mortgagor’’ as the lender. Read more
Buhari approves special salary for teachers (Nation)
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a special salary scale for basic and secondary schools teachers across the nation.
He also announced an increase in the number of service years for the teachers from 35 to 40.
The teachers will also enjoy special provisions for rural posting allowance, science teachers allowance and peculiar allowance.
The gestures was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari and announced by Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, in commemoration of the 2020 World Teachers’ Day on Monday in Abuja. Read more
#EndSARS: Police affairs ministry to ‘thoroughly investigate’ cases (Punch)
The Federal Ministry of Police Affairs has been charged to thoroughly investigate allegations of human right abuses against officers of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, the Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Dingyadi, has said.
“The Servicom Unit of the Ministry of Police Affairs has been mandated to work closely with Police Public Complaint Unit and Police Service Commission to thoroughly investigate cases of infraction against SARS personnel,” Dingyadi tweeted on Monday.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that there was outrage across the country on Sunday over the harassment, extortion and extra-judicial killings of innocent Nigerians by operatives of the FSARS, one of the units of the Nigeria Police Force. Read more
Cut off by flood, Sokoto community turns ‘island’ (Guardian)
Flooding has cut off some communities from other parts of the state in a devastating around Hushi, Sokoto State.
Hushi, a renowned farming and fishing community, has turned ‘island,’ where the major link-way, Hushi-Wurno road, collapsed at three remote points following heavy downpours and massive flooding.
Among other hard-hit communities include Wurno town, Gidan Modi, Gidan Kamba, Gidan Bango, Kwargaba, Dabagin Yari, Dabagin Busau. Read more
N2bn fraud: Trial stalled as Judge, Maina absent from court (Punch)
The Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, was again absent from the Federal High Court in Abuja where his trial on N2bn money laundering charges was scheduled to continue on Monday.
His absence from court on Monday was the fourth in a row since September 29 when the defendant’s trial was scheduled to resume in the court’s new legal year.
The judge, Justice Okon Abang, was absent from Monday’s proceedings.
The prosecuting and defence lawyers were present in court on Monday. Read more
Police arrest 47 years old fake lawyer in Ogun (Vanguard)
Operatives of the Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Police has arrested a 47-year-old man, Tajudeen Olufemi Idris for allegedly parading himself as a legal practitioner.
A statement by the command spokesperson, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, which was made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, the State capital, informed that the suspect was arrested at Magistrate Court 6, Ifo in Ifo local government area of the state, while appearing before Chief Magistrate I.A Arogundade in a civil trial between one Ifeanyi Chuckwu and Ayo Itori where he claimed to be a legal counsel from Tajudeen O. Idris & Co Chamber representing one of the parties.
The statement added, “his conduct and presentation before the Chief Magistrate arouse suspicious about his qualification as a lawyer and this prompted the Chief Magistrate to ask for the year he was called to the bar, which he claimed to be 2009”. Read more
Flood: Two years after, 22 persons still missing (Thisday)
No fewer than 22 persons are still missing in the flood that wreaked havoc on Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State in 2018, the state Commissioner for Environment, Hamza Suleiman, has revealed.
The commissioner, who disclosed this during a ministerial briefing with journalists at the Government House, Monday, lamented that two years after the occurrence of the natural disaster, 22 victims are still missing despite efforts to know their whereabouts.
The flood, caused by torrential rains on Nigeria’s border town with Niger Republic, killed more than 52 persons and destroyed thousands of houses, according to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). Read more
Cameroon reopens schools after 7-month COVID closure (VOA)
More than seven million Cameroon children and their teachers have returned to schools for the first time since their institutions were closed to stop the spread of COVID-19, seven months ago.
The government of the central African state says it has been able to considerably reduce the spread of the disease that has been officially confirmed in more than 20,000 people with 420 deaths. Respect of COVID-19 barrier measures is imperative in all schools.
The oldest student reads rules and regulations to be respected at Government Bilingual High School Essos in Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé. The school’s administration reports that 1,000 students answered present on day one of the 2020/2021 school year. Among them is 13-year-old form two student Treasure Monyuy. Monyuy says students have new guidelines to follow. Read more
Heavily armed black militia march through the streets of Lafayette, LA (RT)
A black militia group, the Not F***ing Around Coalition (NFAC), assembled in Lafayette, Louisiana to protest police violence.
The demonstration comes amid growing racial tensions in the United States.
Several hundred black-clad NFAC members, many of them carrying assault rifles, paraded through Lafayette on Saturday.
The column included people wearing body armor and other tactical gear.
The march was held to seek justice for Trayford Pellerin, a black man who was shot and killed by Lafayette police in August.
The militia was also reportedly motivated to hold a rally in the city after a Louisiana congressman allegedly threatened them in a Facebook message. Read more
Mali frees over 100 jailed jihadists in effort to win release of two hostages (France24)
Mali has freed more than 100 suspected or convicted jihadists as part of negotiations for the release of a prominent Malian politician and a kidnapped French charity worker, sources close to the talks told AFP on Monday.
“As part of the negotiations to obtain the release of Soumaila Cissé and Sophie Pétronin, more than one hundred jihadist prisoners were released this weekend,” one of those in charge of the negotiations, who asked not to be named, told AFP.
An official at the security services confirmed the information, according to the AFP. The prisoners were released in the central region of Niono and in Tessalit in the north after arriving by plane, the official said. Read more
COVID-19 updates: 1 in 10 worldwide may have had virus, WHO says (BBC)
One in 10 people around the world may have contracted Covid-19, the World Health Organization said, at a special meeting of WHO leaders.
A top official said the estimate meant “the vast majority of the world remains at risk”.
Just over 35m people have been confirmed as being infected with coronavirus – the WHO’s estimate puts the true figure at closer to 800m.
Experts have long said the real number of cases would exceed those confirmed.
The WHO is meeting at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss the global response to the pandemic. Read more
Venezuela wins UK court decision in battle to get its gold back (RT)
The UK’s appeals court has ruled in favor of President Nicolas Maduro’s government in the battle to repatriate Venezuela’s $1 billion worth of gold held at the Bank of England, reversing an earlier decision.
The UK High Court ruled in favor of opposition politician Juan Guaido earlier this year, saying that London unequivocally recognizes him as “interim president” of the South American nation, rather than President Maduro. The judgment came as the two sides were battling for access to gold reserves stored in the vaults of the Bank of England. Read more
British man who secretly poked holes in condom gets four years for rape (NYPost)
A British man has been sentenced to four years in prison for rape after he pricked a hole in a condom before sex — an act his victim branded “pure evil,” according to court reports.
Andrew Lewis, 47, was caught after his partner found a pin alongside condoms with holes in them in a bedside drawer — and then a damaged used condom in the trash, according to the Worcester News.
“He told police he had hoped the condom would split and it would improve the intimacy,” prosecutor Glyn Samuel told Friday’s sentencing at Worcester Crown Court.
“He said it was the stupidest thing he has ever done.” Read more
World surpasses 35m cases of COVID-19 (VOA)
A week after surpassing 1 million coronavirus deaths, the world has amassed more than 35 million COVID-19 cases, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
Several European nations hit their own pandemic milestones with Germany reporting Monday its total confirmed cases exceed 300,000 and Britain recording its 500,000th case.
Britain’s Cineworld, the second largest movie theater chain in the world, announced Monday it would temporarily close its British and U.S. theaters. Coronavirus lockdown orders and restrictions on group gatherings have badly hurt the movie industry. Cineworld said the move would impact 45,000 jobs. Read more
Facebook calls splitting off Instagram, WhatsApp a ‘nonstarter’ (NYPost)
Facebook views the idea of splitting off Instagram and WhatsApp as a “nonstarter” that would cost billions of dollars and harm users, a new report says.
The social-media giant has outlined its arguments against undoing two of its biggest acquisitions in a 14-page document as it faces crackdowns from federal regulators and congressional lawmakers, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The document contends that breaking up the popular apps would be extraordinarily difficult given that Facebook has made big investments to support their growth and taken steps to integrate their operations, the paper reported Sunday. Read more
Randy Waldrum is new Super Falcons’ head coach (Guardian)
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced the appointment of Randy Waldrum as the new Head Coach of the Senior Women National Football Team, the Super Falcons.
NFF communications department made the announcement in a statement on Monday.
Waldrum, an American, who played as a midfielder, succeeds Swedish Thomas Dennerby who resigned from the job in October last year.
The American worked largely within the U.S women football circle and was head coach of the Trinidad and Tobago national team between 2014 and 2016. Read more
Arsenal transfer news: Gunners hope to conclude deal for Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey (BBC)
Arsenal are trying to conclude a deadline day deal for long-term target Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid.
The Ghana international midfielder, 27, has a release clause of £45m.
The Gunners’ Uruguay midfielder Lucas Torreira, 24, would likely move in the opposite direction and join the La Liga side on loan.
Partey, who joined Atletico in 2011, made 35 league appearances for Diego Simeone’s side as they finished third last season, scoring three goals. Read more
Fans stunned as LeBron James walks off court during NBA Finals (NYPost)
LeBron James was the first Los Angeles Lakers player off the court Sunday night as the Miami Heat were putting the finishing touches on their Game 3 victory in the NBA Finals.
James led the Lakers with 25 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists but was clearly frustrated with a late foul call and the 20 Lakers turnovers that ultimately put the team in a hole early and cost them down the stretch.
James was seen leaving the floor with 10 seconds left and off to the side before the buzzer sounded and the game officially ended. Read more
Nadal breezes through Roland Garros, as Thiem barely beats France’s Gaston in epic match (France24)
Twelve-time champion Rafael Nadal breezed into his 14th Roland Garros quarter-final on Sunday as Dominic Thiem survived an epic five-setter and Alexander Zverev stunned the coronavirus-affected tournament by admitting he played despite being sick and was struggling to breathe.
On a dramatic windswept and chilly day in the French capital, teenagers Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek created shockwaves by reaching their maiden Grand Slam quarter-finals.
Nadal beat American qualifier Sebastian Korda 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 to stay comfortably on course for a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam crown. Read more
Covid Catastrophe: Barcelona reveal losses of almost €100m (RT)
Barcelona have announced a net loss of €97 million ($114 million) for the 2019-20 season after their debt more than doubled, in part due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Blaugrana released their financial figures in a statement on Monday and it did not make happy reading for supporters of the club.
Barca revealed they had forecast revenues of an estimated €1.059 billion for last season had the pandemic not hit, but their income actually came in at €855 million. Read more
Luca Zidane leaves Real Madrid for Rayo Vallecano (Guardian)
Luca Zidane, the goalkeeper son of Real Madrid coach Zinedine, on Monday, signed a two-year deal with Rayo Vallecano, the Spanish second division club announced on Monday.
The 22-year-old was at the end of his contract with Madrid, who loaned him out to Racing Santander last season.
Luca Zidane is one of Zinedine’s four sons, and spent 16 years at Madrid, coming through from the youth teams through to the first team, with whom he played just two games, in the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Read more
Jamie Carragher blames Jurgen Klopp tactic for Liverpool’s humiliating 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa (Metro)
Jamie Carragher slammed Liverpool’s back four and Jurgen Klopp’s tactics after the Reds’ humiliating 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa. Dean Smith’s side inflicted the first defeat of the season on Liverpool, who looked a shadow of the side that romped to the Premier League title last term.
Villa were more than deserving of their five-goal victory and in truth they could have won by a more favourable margin, such was Smith’s side superiority over the champions.
Liverpool were continuously undone by the side’s high line, which allowed Villa to play down the channels and into bundles of space behind the Reds’ defence. While Carragher believes there’s nothing inherently wrong with the ‘high line’, he believes the defenders rested on the tactic as an excuse to fail to track back if a pass breached their backline.
‘I was almost laughing at the end, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. You don’t associate this with this Liverpool team,’ said Carragher. Read more