Lagos denies signing executive order on environmental sanitation (Guardian)
Lagos State government has denied signing an executive order on environmental sanitation.
“The information about a so-called “Executive Order” on Environmental Sanitation in Lagos State … This information is untrue and should be totally disregarded pls,” Jubril Gawat, a media aide to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said on Twitter.
The rebuttal followed a viral social media post claimed that the state government has reinstated the monthly sanitation exercise on last Saturday of every month through an executive order signed by Sanwo-Olu-Olu
“I wish to inform you that environmental sanitation is now back to Lagos on every last Saturday of the month, starting from 7 am -10 am,” the social media posts. Read more
Lagos APC kicks as PDP demands Sanwo-Olu’s resignation (Punch)
The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress has faulted the Peoples Democratic Party for demnding the resignation of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu over violence in the state.
The Lagos PDP in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Taofik Gani, had alleged that the governor was overwhelmed by the current challenges facing the state, asking him to resign.
“This counseling is in good faith and for the overall interest of the state. If this state continues to experience the collapses in next 72 hours, it may suffer a declaration of state of emergency, a step that would likely deprive all.
“The PDP is even more expedient for the governor to welcome the counsel to step aside now that the Nigerian Army has revealed him as the person who invited the soldiers to go and quell the Lekki protests. Obviously, Lagosians can no longer trust a governor who denies his conspiracy actions in government,” he said. Read more
We can’t go back to classrooms on empty stomach – ASUU (Vanguard)
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has disclosed that they cannot go back to the classrooms on an empty stomach insisting that the Federal Government should adopt its recently invented payment system for Universities, “University Transparency and Accountability Solution”, UTAS as an alternative to IPPIS.
ASUU also maintained that the Federal government payment system IPPIS, which was made mandatory to university workers, including ASUU members was against the law that granted autonomy to Universities.
The Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Calabar Zone, Dr Aniekan Brown disclosed this while briefing newsmen on Monday in Calabar. Read more
Soldiers on #EndSARS duty flog woman for ‘indecent dressing’, shave youths (Punch)
Soldiers deployed in the streets of Beere in Ibadan, Oyo State, to curb the #EndSARS protests have been caught on camera flogging a woman for what they termed ‘indecent dressing’
Soldiers deployed in the streets of Beere in Ibadan, Oyo State, to curb the #EndSARS protests have been caught on camera flogging a woman for what they termed ‘indecent dressing’.
Some of the soldiers, who were chanting ‘End SARS’, also shaved the heads of some youths said to be wearing improper hairstyles.
In a video that has since gone viral, a young lady wearing a spaghetti-strapped dress and orange-coloured hairstyle is made to sit on the bare floor at a filling station while a soldier whips her buttocks. Read more
Former FIRS boss Fowler in EFCC net over fraud allegations (Guardian)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is currently interrogating a former chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Babatunde Fowler, over the N100 billion tax evasion allegations levelled against a tax firm, Alpha Beta Consulting.
Fowler, who was also a former chief executive officer, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), responded to an invitation from the EFCC on Monday.
A former managing director and chief executive officer, Alpha Beta Consulting, Dapo Apara, had accused the firm of tax fraud to the tune of N100bn. Read more
Order Amnesty Office to pay our outstanding allowances, Niger Delta students urge Buhari (Thisday)
Worried by the persistent refusal of the Federal Government to pay their allowances and stipends for nearly three years, the coalition of the 2017/2018 set of Niger-Delta Amnesty students, deployed to some universities across the Niger Delta Region have forwarded a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari, asking for immediate redress.
According to the students, the petition became necessary to acquaint the president with the unjustifiable deprivation of payment of monthly stipends and other benefits due to them, contrary to the terms and conditions of the sponsorship agreement under the Amnesty programme.
Deploring what they called the perpetual refusal of the Amnesty Office formerly headed by Prof. Charles Dokubo, to pay them the mandatory monthly stipend of N70,000 and N40,000 per session for book allowance per student, the petitioners said the affected universities offered them admission having found them to be indigenes of the Niger Delta and qualified under the Amnesty Programme. Read more
EFCC re-arraigns Suswam, ex-Finance Commissioner, Okolobia (Guardian)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, re-arraigned former Benue Governor, Gabriel Suswam, before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Suswam was re-arraigned alongside the then Commissioner of Finance during his administration, Omadachi Okolobia, on 11-count charge bordering on money laundering.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while Suswam, who presently represents Benue North-East Senatorial District, is the 1st defendant, Okolobia is the 2nd defendant in the suit. Read more
COVID-19: FG approves N4bn bailout for indigenous airlines (Nation)
The federal government has approved N4 billion as a bailout fund to airlines to cushion the effects of the impact of the devastation of COVID-19 on their operations.
Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika made the disclosure on Monday in Abuja at a three day public hearing to repeal and enact Acts of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and that of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Sirika also stated that the Federal Government approved an additional N1 Billion for aviation agencies to also cushion the sorry state of most of them which has made payment of salaries difficult. Read more
Train saved from disaster by giant whale after crashing through barrier at end of track (Metro)
A train driver’s life was saved by a giant whale tale after his train crashed through the barriers at the end of the track. The train plunged straight through, and would have ended up in the water below if the artwork hadn’t broken its fall. Nobody else was on the train and the driver was able to escape to safety himself. The carriage is now still suspended 10 metres above a footpath at De Akkers metro station in Spijkenisse, near Rotterdam. A local safety board spokesman told broadcaster NOS: ‘We are trying to decide how we can bring the train down in a careful and controlled manner.’ Read more
WHO boss quarantining after exposure to person with COVID-19 (NYPost)
The head of the World Health Organization announced that he is in quarantine after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 — as the worldwide virus-related death toll surpassed 1.2 million early Monday.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, tweeted about his decision to self-isolate Sunday evening.
“I have been identified as a contact of someone who has tested positive for #COVID19,” he wrote. “I am well and without symptoms but will self-quarantine over the coming days, in line with @WHO protocols, and work from home.” Read more
Tanzanian opposition leader Freeman Mbowe arrested over protests (BBC)
Police in Tanzania have arrested the chairman of the main opposition party in the wake of a disputed election.
Freeman Mbowe was detained, along with two other Chadema leaders, for planning violent protests, according to the police.
President John Magufuli was re-elected with 84% of the vote, Friday’s official results showed.
But the opposition said Wednesday’s poll was fraudulent and called for peaceful demonstrations.
Chadema’s presidential candidate Tundu Lissu told the BBC’s Newsday programme that he had also heard of the arrest of party leaders in other parts of the country. Read more
Dogs are humankind’s oldest companions, DNA research shows (Metro)
Dogs may be man’s best friend, but it also seems like they’re our oldest too. New research claims that dogs were the first animals ever domesticated by humans. At least five different types of dog with distinct genetic ancestries existed in Europe around 11,000 years ago when humans were still hunters and gatherers, scientists have found. The analysis is based on DNA sequenced from 27 ancient canine specimens from across Europe, the Near East and Siberia. Researchers say the findings, published in the journal Science, could shed light on the ‘inextricable bond between dogs and humans’. Read more
See the city with the world’s highest minimum wage (BBC)
Geneva is a very wealthy place. Home to a huge private banking sector, the United Nations, and auction houses Sotheby’s and Christie’s, which regularly sell enormous gemstones for eye-watering prices.
And this month it is introducing the highest minimum monthly salary in the world, in response to a referendum at the end of September.
The new hourly rate of 23 Swiss francs – equivalent to £19, $25 or €22 – will give a minimum monthly salary of 4,000 francs (£3,350). Read more
Video shows rescue of girl, 3, pulled from earthquake rubble after 65 hours (NYPost)
A toddler found trapped beneath a collapsed apartment building has been rescued following a magnitude 6.6 earthquake on Friday in Turkey.
The 3-year-old — who has been identified as Elif Perincek — was pulled more than 65 hours after the quake struck the western Turkish town of Izmir, where Monday’s dramatic rescue took place. Perincek’s mother Seher Dereli Perincek and a pair of twin siblings, 10, were saved 42 hours earlier. Another sibling, 7, did not survive.
Crowds and first responders cheered as they pulled the little girl from beneath the heap, as seen in smartphone footage captured by an onlooker, Reuters reported. Perincek was briefly treated at the scene then transported to a local hospital, according to Turkish state news service Anadolu. Read more
James Blunt thanks trolls for inspiring him to write new book (Metro)
James Blunt has thanked Twitter trolls for inspiring him to pen a book… which can be used as a multi-purpose item in the bog.
The singer, who was Guilty Pleasures’ agony uncle during the first lockdown, has merged his famous experiences on social media to show what 2020 has been like for him in How To Be A Complete and Utter Blunt: Diary of a Reluctant Social Media Sensation.
Now more famous for his comedic Twitter put-downs than his singing, he told GP: ‘You can stop me doing live music by introducing a virus, but in doing so I will just put a book out.’ Read more
Bayern Munich withdraw contract offer for Alaba (Nation)
Bayern Munich President Herbert Hainer says the club have withdrawn their offer of a new five-year contract for defender David Alaba after the Austria international’s representative rejected their latest proposal.
The 28-year-old, who has been at Bayern Munich since 2008, sees his current deal run out in 2021.
Contract talks have dragged on for months, reportedly due to the player’s annual salary.
“We submitted to David and his advisor some time ago what we think was a very good offer,” Hainer said. Read more
Petr Cech ‘100% ready to help’ Chelsea after being named in Premier League squad (Metro)
Petr Cech insists he is ‘100 per cent ready’ to help Chelsea if required after being named in the club’s Premier League squad. Cech, who won four Premier League titles and the Champions League at Stamford Bridge, was a surprise inclusion in Chelsea’s 25-man squad for the 2020-21 season. The 38-year-old announced his retirement at the end of the 2018-19 season and returned to Chelsea as a technical and performance advisor. However, he has been training with first-team goalkeepers Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga in recent weeks and says he is ‘ready’ to help Chelsea if called upon this season. Read more
Rangers suspend two players for Covid-19 breach (BBC)
Rangers have suspended Jordan Jones and George Edmundson for “breaching Covid regulations”, the club have confirmed.
A statement from the Ibrox side said winger Jones and defender Edmundson attended a private gathering on Sunday “with others outside their household”.
The pair will now be investigated by the club and must isolate for 14 days.
“We are completely aligned in our action and the standards that are being set at Rangers,” said managing director Stewart Robertson. Read more
Frank Lampard rates Edouard Mendy’s start at Chelsea (Metro)
Frank Lampard says he has been impressed with the ‘security’ new Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has shown since arriving at Stamford Bridge. Mendy was signed from Rennes back in the summer after a string of high-profile errors from Kepa Arrizabalaga, who conceded 14 goals in his last six games for the west London club. Following Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over Burnley on Sunday, the 28-year-old became only the second Blues stopper after club legend Petr Cech to start his Premier League career with three consecutive clean sheets. Read more
Real Madrid defender Eder Militao tests positive for coronavirus (BBC)
Real Madrid defender Eder Militao has tested positive for coronavirus and will miss Tuesday’s Champions League game against Inter Milan.
The Brazilian, 22, will undergo a mandatory period of self-isolation.
A club statement confirmed that Militao was the only person to test positive after players, coaching staff and club employees were tested on Sunday.
The Spanish club, who are bottom of Champions League Group B, host third-placed Inter in Madrid at 20:00 BST.
Militao has made three appearances for Real this season, including their Champions League opener against Shakhtar Donetsk. Read more
NYCFC, Red Bulls give New York sports a glimmer of hope (NYPost)
We stink.
New York sports have been in a bad place of late.
For too long, most of New York’s sports teams have been struggling. It’s as if there’s been an extended COVID-19 travel ban on New York teams going to the playoffs.
With the exception, however, of the two local Major League Soccer teams — NYCFC and the Red Bulls.
Both have qualified for the MLS playoffs, and they played each other Sunday night at Yankee Stadium with postseason-seeding position and — perhaps more important — Hudson River Derby bragging rights in the balance. Read more
Zlatan Ibrahimovic teases international comeback at the age of 39 (RT)
Veteran Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be set to return to the international fold after the AC Milan ace teased a return to his country’s national team, more than four years after his last appearance.
Ibrahimovic has appeared immune to the ravages of ageing, hitting the net eight times in just seven games for the Serie A side so far this season. And now the 39-year-old hitman looks like he is contemplating a return to the international fold after posting a cryptic message to social media Monday afternoon.
The Swedish star announced his international retirement in 2016 after his team failed to emerge from the group stage at the international tournament, finishing bottom of a group which also included Ireland, Belgium and group winners Italy. Read more