Lagos demolishes shanties on Oshodi-Apapa highway (Guardian)
The Lagos State Government yesterday began the demolition of shanties and other structures built on the right of way of the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway to enable the contractor handling the reconstruction of the road commence work on the service lane, as well as the beautification of the right of way.
The task force led by the Federal Controller of Works, Mr Olukayode Popoola, particularly targeted shanties along with the service lane at Ladipo, Toyota and Charity bus stops, as well as those located under the bridge leading to the airport road.
Every item found along the way, including automobile parts, was cleared. Cars and trucks carrying containers were also towed-off the right of way.
The demolition comes at the expiration of a two-week ultimatum given to residents and traders to vacate the areas. Read more
Grieving family tackles Lagos hospital over mechanic’s death (Punch)
The family of late Elijah Popoola has accused doctors and nurses on duty at the Akodo General Hospital of negligence while attending to their son, who was rushed to the accident and emergency unit for treatment after an accident on the Lekki-Epe Expressway of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Elijah, an automobile mechanic, and his colleague, Kingsley Nkenchor, were test-driving a car on the road when they suddenly rammed into an SUV around the Eleko area.
In a bid to rescue Elijah and Kingsley, it was learnt that a good Samaritan, who witnessed the accident, immediately rushed them to the Akodo General Hospital for urgent treatment on Monday, February 22, 2021.
Speaking to PUNCH Metro, Elijah’s brother, Imole, said the 27-year-old was shoddily treated at the hospital, adding that he died while being rushed to another general hospital on the Lagos Island. Read more
28 policemen killed in 3 months (Nation)
No fewer than 28 cops have been killed in three months, The Nation’s checks have revealed. They were either shot by gunmen, hacked to death or set ablaze by hoodlums who attacked police stations.
These are different from those lost to the ENDSARS violence. According to Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed, six soldiers, 37 policemen and 57 civilians were murdered during the ENDSARS violence. The minister added that 269 private and public properties were razed.
The police said they would do everything legally permissible to curb the attacks on its men and facilities. Police spokesman Frank Mba, a Commissioner (CP), said this would include the use of force.
On February 23, AK47 and machetes carrying hoodlums numbering about 200 invaded Abayi Police Station at Osisioma, Aba in Abia State and killed two officers identified as Vincent Gonze and Sergeant Emmanuel Okoronkwo. The attackers also set part of the division ablaze with the help if petrol bombs and other explosives. Read more
FG may approve fuel price hike this week (DailyTrust)
A new fuel price band between N170 and N175 may be approved by the federal government this week, Daily Trust has learnt.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the sole importer of refined petroleum products was selling at the old landing cost of N158.33 as of Saturday but government officials and some marketers have confirmed to Daily Trust that a new fuel price band is imminent this week.
The Minister of Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva had two weeks ago said Nigerians should prepare for fuel price increase as oil price climbed above $60 per barrel.
The rise in crude oil price has taken the landing cost of petrol in Nigeria above N180 per litre. Read more
300 abducted students not released, says Zamfara government (Guardian)
Zamfara State Government has debunked reports of the release of over 300 Students kidnapped by Bandits, saying that they are yet to regain their freedom.
Press Secretary to the Governor, Jamilu Magaji, said that some online media had claimed the release of the female students of Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe.
He stated: “Governor Bello Matawalle and his aides have since Friday when the girls were abducted by gunmen, not rested; but have been working round the clock, making frantic efforts that will lead to the safe release of the victims. They are not happy that someone, who does not know the details of the situation, will try to further hurt the victims’ parents, government and security by ridiculing the effort with falsehood.
“The state government will come immediately and happily inform the world as soon as the girls are released.” Read more
Data usage pushes MTN revenue to #1.3tr (Guardian)
Telecommunications firm, MTN Nigeria has announced a 14.7 per cent increase in its service revenue to the tune of ₦1.3 trillion in 2020.
Against all odds, as recorded in 2020, MTN Nigeria’s revenue went up by 15.1 per cent from N1.1.17 trillion in 2019 to N1.346 trillion in 2020.
In the audited results for the financial year ended December 31, 2020, made available to journalists on Sunday, the growth was attributed to the surge in both voice and data service.
The telecommunications firm said data revenue maintained the positive momentum from Q2, prompted by the COVID-19 lockdowns, rising by 51.2 per cent. Read more
Okonjo-Iweala assumes duty as WTO DG today (ThisDay)
The newly-elected Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will assume duties today.
The former Nigeria’s two-term Finance Minister was selected by the General Council of the WTO a fortnight ago, as the organisation’s seventh director-general.
With her emergence as the first African and first female to be the Director-General of the WTO, Okonjo-Iweala had unveiled her agenda, which included working with other members of the organisation in reforming and rebranding the global trade body.
Okonjo-Iweala, in her acceptance speech, had also highlighted the need for procedural reforms so that the WTO would better serve its members. Read more
FCT Minister Orders Prosecution Of Traffic Offenders (DailyTrust)
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has ordered the arrest and prosecution of traffic offenders.
Malam Bello who made this known during the flag off of the Ministerial Action Against Traffic Violation poject in the FCT, stressed that the action was intended to ensure compliance with traffic rules and regulations on FCT roads.
According to a statement by the minister’s spokesman, Mr Anthony Ogunleye, traffic lights and other road markings are intended to safeguard the lives of road users and ensure smooth and efficient flow of traffic.
Mr Ogunleye said, “As the population of the city expands, it has been observed that many road users do not understand many traffic rules and regulations and invariably put their lives and the lives of other road users in jeopardy.” Read more
Stock investors lose N1.37tn in one month (Punch)
Investors in the Nigerian stock market recorded a total loss of N1.37tn in February as market capitalisation tumbled below N21tn amid profit-taking.
Investors had gained over N1.13tn in January as the market capitalisation closed at N22.19tn from N21.06tn at the start of the month.
The Nigerian Stock Exchange All-Share Index closed at 39,799.89 basis points in February from 42,412.66bps at the end of January. Read more
Idris Elba leaves Dancing On Ice viewers swooning as he makes surprise appearance (Metro)
Idris Elba made a surprise appearance on tonight’s episode of Dancing On Ice and, naturally, he left viewers wanting more. The Luther actor popped up on screen right before Sonny Jay and Angela Egan’s performance for Movie Week, which saw them skate to Town Called Malice from Billy Elliot. Wearing a pair of shades from an exotic location, Idris said: ‘Sonny Jay! It’s Idris Elba here and I just want to wish you the best of luck on Dancing On Ice. I wish I could do it, but I can’t. You can! Kill it, bruv.’ Idris, 48, was only on-screen for a few seconds but it was enough to send viewers into a light sweat. Read more
Ishiguro: Young authors ‘fear online lynch mob’ (BBC)
Young authors may be self-censoring because they worry they will be “trolled” or “cancelled”, according to celebrated writer Sir Kazuo Ishiguro.
Sir Kazuo, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2017, warned that a “climate of fear” was preventing some people from writing what they want.
He said they may be concerned that an “anonymous lynch mob will turn up online and make their lives a misery”.
He told the BBC: “I very much fear for the younger generation of writers.” Read more
UN: Nearly $4b needed to prevent massive Yemen famine (VOA)
The United Nations will appeal to donors Monday for nearly $4 billion to prevent “the worst famine the world has seen for decades” from happening in Yemen this year.
“The humanitarian situation in Yemen is falling off a cliff,” U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told reporters recently. “It’s never been worse; the country is in a state of collapse essentially.”
More than six years of war between the Saudi-backed government of President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi and the Iranian-supported Houthi rebels has pushed the Middle East’s poorest country to the brink. Read more
How Tina Fey, Amy Poehler will host Golden Globes 2021 from opposite coasts (NYPost)
This year’s Golden Globes 2021 telecast will be produced virtually — and, for the first time, from both coasts.
Beyond that lies the great unknown.
Sunday’s show — co-hosted, respectively, by Tina Fey at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center and Amy Poehler at the Beverly Hilton in LA — airs at 8 p.m. on NBC. Producers have been busy working behind the scenes to adapt the pandemic-era broadcast to its virtual realities, which involves much more than just the lack of a live celebrity audience at either venue.
“You can expect a star-studded night,” Barry Adelman, one of the show’s executive producers, told The Post. “With all the nominees who are participating, plus the presenters who are coming to both venues, we will have a star presenting every single award — live.” Read more
Trump says he won’t form new party, vows to unite Republicans (AlJazeera)
Former US President Donald Trump has said he has no plans to form a new political party, promising instead to unite a Republican Party that has splintered after his supporters overran the United States Capitol in a deadly riot.
In his first major speech since he left the White House last month, Trump said the GOP is “going to unite and be stronger than ever before”.
“I am not starting a new party. That was fake news,” he told the crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Sunday afternoon.
“We will be united and strong like never before. We will save and strengthen America and we will fight the onslaught of radicalism, socialism and indeed, it all leads to communism,” said Trump, who spent much of his speech hitting out at US President Joe Biden. Read more
First look at Meghan and Harry’s astonishing tell-all with Oprah (PageSix)
Meghan Markle is poised to say that life in the royal family was “almost unsurvivable” in an astonishing tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The first glimpse of Winfrey’s CBS interview with Markle and husband Prince Harry aired Sunday night during an ad break for “60 Minutes.”
And what the couple tell Winfrey is so sensational that the legendary host says, “You’ve said some pretty shocking things here … wait, hold up, wait a minute.”
Cradling her middle, pregnant Markle — who doesn’t speak in the trailer — looks at the billionaire media mogul as Winfrey asks her, “Were you silent or were you silenced?” Read more
Bale scores double in Tottenham’s 4-0 win over Burnley (Nation)
Gareth Bale marked his return to an English Premier League (EPL) starting line-up with a brace in Tottenham’s 4-0 thumping of Burnley on Sunday.
Bale had only been named from kick-off twice in the top-flight since re-joining Spurs from Real Madrid last September.
But a goal in each leg of the Europa League win over Wolfsberger AC earlier in the week persuaded Jose Mourinho to give the Wales international a chance.
Tottenham’s recent run of five defeats in their past six Premier League matches became a fast fading memory as Bale scored after 68 seconds and set up Harry Kane for Spurs’ second. Read more
Kwara Utd reclaim top spot as Kano Pillars collapse 2-3 at Dakkada FC (DailyTrust)
Kwara United stormed back to the top of the 2021 Nigeria Professional Football League with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Warri Wolves as Kano Pillars surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 2-3 at Dakkada FC in one of the week 13 matches played yesterday in Uyo.
The victory by Kwara United lifted them to 25 points while Kano Pillars remained on 23 points just as Enyimba who forced Jigawa Stars to 0-0 draw in Kaduna stayed third on 23 points.
Stephen Jude put Kwara United in front as early as the 8th minute before Michael Ohanu sealed all three points for the home side in the 58th minute. Read more
AC Milan beat Roma to maintain pressure on Inter (BBC)
AC Milan moved four points behind Serie A leaders Inter Milan by beating Roma.
Franck Kessie put Milan ahead from the penalty spot after Roma’s Federico Fazio fouled Davide Calabria.
But Roma’s Jordan Veretout equalised with a fine finish from 18 yards out after five minutes of the second half.
However, after striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic went off to protect a groin injury, Milan scored the winner through Ante Rebic’s shot on the turn following Alexis Saelemaekers’ pass. Read more
Tiger Woods makes first comments since horrifying crash (NYPost)
Tiger Woods on Sunday made his first comments since his devastating car crash last week.
“It is hard to explain how touching today was when I turned on the tv and saw all the red shirts,” the 45-year-old Woods tweeted, in reference to his peers wearing his signature Sunday outfit — red shirt and black pants — during the final round of the WCG-Workday Championship. “To every golfer and every fan, you are truly helping me get through this tough time.”
The 15-time major champion and 45-year-old is still recovering after surgery to fix the compound fractures in his leg suffered during the rollover accident Tuesday in southern California. Read more
Formula 1 declines Bahrain COVID-19 vaccination offer (BBC)
Formula 1 has declined an offer from Bahrain to vaccinate all personnel attending pre-season testing and the year’s opening grand prix.
The Gulf state said the move was part of its vaccination programme, which it was extending to events in the country.
A spokesman for F1 said the sport had no plans to be vaccinated as a group “ahead of the rollout of vaccines through the health system in the UK”. Read more
Former Newcastle United and West Ham manager Glenn Roeder dies aged 65 (Metro) Former Newcastle United and West Ham manager Glenn Roeder has died at the age of 65 after a long battle with a brain tumour. Roeder also managed Gillingham, Watford and Norwich City after a 20-year playing career which included long spells at Newcastle, Queens Park Rangers and Leyton Orient. As well as managing a number of Premier League and EFL clubs, Roeder also spent some time as an England coach under manager Glenn Hoddle. LMA Chairman Howard Wilkinson said: ‘A cultured defender as a player, he managed with a studious style and was always generous with his time and ideas. Read more