Lagos is not in bondage, Sanwo-Olu replies Agbaje (Nation)
LAGOS State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said Lagosians are free citizens and not in bondage. Sanwo-Olu stated this yesterday at the Palace of Akran of Badagry Aholu De Wheno Menu Toyi 1 during a consultative visit to the traditional rulers in the Badagry Division. In a direct response to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje, who said Lagosians were in bondage, Sanwo-Olu said Lagosians had not been enslaved under the APC-led administration. Read more
Why Buhari, Atiku may fail —Fr. Mbaka (Vanguard)
The fiery Catholic Priest and the Spiritual Director of the Adoration Catholic Prayer Ministry, Enugu Nigeria, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka has predicted doom’s day for President Muhammadu Buhari and the Presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, saying that none of them would win, without mentioning the eventual winner. Speaking during the 2018 harvest and bazaar celebration at his Adoration Ground in Emene, he said it was bad and scandalous before the Holy Spirit that after their prayers on Adoration altar made Buhari the President, he had refused to come and do a project for his ministry as a way of thanking God. Read more
‘I fought for special economic assistance, not special status for Lagos’ (Nation)
All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has reflected on her struggle to attract “special economic assistance” to Lagos State through a bill she initiated in the Senate. The senator representing Lagos Central said the motive was misunderstood by her colleagues. She noted that senators who misunderstood the bill uncritically confused her clamour for special economic assistance with the struggle for special status. Read more
I’ll provide uninterrupted electricity – Ezekwesili (Punch)
The presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, has promised to provide uninterrupted supply of electricity in the country in the first four years if elected President next year. In a statement on Sunday, Ezekwesili said stable electricity would aid business growth in Nigeria. She said, “From 1999 till date, all the projections made by successive governments to grow the supply of electricity to Nigerians, to either 6,000MW, 10,000MW or 20,000MW, have not been realised. The citizens’ desire and willingness to pay an appropriate price of electricity consumed is seen in generators of all shapes and sizes and how much they pay to operate and service these machines. Read more
ASUU Strike: No work no pay policy will prolong strike – Union (Vanguard)
The dialogue between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, over the ongoing strike has going messier, after the Federal Government yesterday introduced the implementation of ”No work, no pay policy”. The universities lecturers who had vowed never to return to work until demands are met, described the policy of no work, no pay as a threat that could hold no water. Read more
Army: $1b approved to fight insurgency yet to be released (Nation)
The $1 billion approved to fight insurgency and other security challenges has not been released to the military, Nigerian army claimed yesterday. The cash was approved in 2017 for the President Muhammadu Buhari by the National Economic Council (NEC) to be withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) to strengthen the fight against insurgency. Fielding questions on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Weekend File programme, army spokesman Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, said the money is still being processed. Read more
Cardinal Arinze to preside over award ceremony for Obiano (Vanguard)
Francis Cardinal Arinze, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments at the Vatican, will lead the Mass preceding special awards by the Catholic Church to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State and two leading Anglicans in the state, Chief Obi Adimora, and Barrister Chidi Amamgbo at the Christ the King Parish, Umuezeawala, Ihiala on Saturday. Chairman of the planning committee for the event, Professor Chuka Chukwube and the secretary, Architect Martin Nwabineli, said the ceremony would be chaired by Mr.Edwin Enwegbara, a former President of the Nigerian Water Association. Read more
N800b subsidy debt: Oil marketers give Fed Govt 7-day ultimatum to pay cash (Nation)
Oil marketers yesterday gave the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to pay them N800 billion. They threatened to wind up operations at the depots across the country should the government fail to settle them. According to them, the government should pay the arrears in cash and not as promissory note. The marketers, comprising Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) and Independent Petroleum Products Importers (IPPIs), said they would force their members to disengage workers from depots after the expiration of the ultimatum. Read more
ADP presidential candidate steps down for Olawepo-Hashim (Guardian)
The African Democratic Party (ADP) presidential candidate, Matthias Sado, has announced his decision to drop his presidential ambition to support the presidential candidate of Peoples Trust (PT), Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim. Sado, who spoke at a press conference yesterday, said Olawepo-Hashim possesses all that was needed to rescue “our bleeding nation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari.” Read more
Lagos Police arrest 4 market officials for breaking, entry (Vanguard)
The Police in Lagos, weekend, arrested four officials of the Cosmetic and Hairdressers Association, Irepodun Market, Ikotun, for breaking and entry, an acts capable of breaching peace in the market. Police sources said their arrest followed a strongly-worded complaint made to the State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, by the Chairman of the association, Mr. Anayo Okolie, alleging that the criminal and nefarious activities of the officials is threatening peace in the market and may lead to bloodbath as traders have sworn to resist their intimidation and harassment in the market. Read more
Wounded Yemeni rebels to be evacuated (BBC)
A UN plane is to evacuate wounded Houthi rebels from Yemen in an effort to build confidence ahead of peace talks, the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the rebels says. The 50 rebels are due to be flown from the rebel-held capital Sanaa for treatment in Oman later on Monday. UN-sponsored talks between the rebels and the Saudi-backed government are expected to start in the coming days. The war has caused the world’s worst humanitarian crisis in recent times. Read more
Osimhen keeps on scoring in Belgium (Vanguard)
Victor Osimhen has scored his seventh goal of the season in the Belgian First Division A as Sporting Charleroi defeated Cercle Brugge 3-1. The Wolfsburg player has continued to have an impressive start to life in the Belgian top-flight with a goal that helped his team cruise to victory on Saturday. The Nigeria international who joined Charleroi on a season-long loan from Wolfsburg scored. Read more
Banyana showed character but Falcons were better — Dennerby (Punch)
Super Falcons coach Thomas Dennerby has praised his side’s compactness in securing a ninth Africa Women’s Cup Of Nations title at the expense of the Banyana Banyana of South Africa. Dennerby led the Falcons to their third successive AWCON title in his first year in charge of the team defeating the Banyana Banyana 4-3 on penalties in the final game on Saturday. In the shootout, Onome Ebi missed Nigeria’s first kick, hitting the upright, but after Alice Matlou and Ngozi Ebere netted, Lebohang Ramalepe booted her effort wide. Read more
CAF offers S’Africa AFCON 2019 hosting rights (Punch)
South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan has confirmed that the Confederation of African Football wants South Africa to step in as hosts of the Africa Cup of Nations 2019, at short notice, according to a report on South Africa’s Times Live. CAF stripped Cameroon of the AFCON 2019 hosting rights at the weekend due to delays in preparing for the continental showpiece, and the continental football governing body is now seemingly now eyeing South Africa as a replacement. Jordaan told the SAFA AGM in Sandton on Sunday that the continental football governing body has asked South Africa to seriously consider taking over as AFCON 2019 hosts. Read more
Injury-time Origi winner stuns Everton (BBC)
Liverpool’s Divock Origi scored a bizarre 96th-minute goal in sensational circumstances as a terrible Jordan Pickford error gifted the Reds victory over Everton in the Merseyside derby at Anfield. It sent his manager Jurgen Klopp sprinting onto the pitch to hug goalkeeper Alisson and the fans into raptures, but was cruel on Everton, who had at times played the more adventurous football in a lively encounter. The 232nd meeting between the city rivals was heading for a draw when Pickford mishandled a sliced Virgil van Dijk shot that had ballooned high up into the air. Read more
Children stolen by Lagos maid found at Seme border (Vanguard)
Two children kidnapped, last week, by their maid at Gbagada area of Lagos State, have been found close to Nigeria-Seme border in Benin Republic. This is just as the Police in Lagos, yesterday, said it has spread its dragnet to locate the house help, who gave her name as Busayo, and appealed to Nigerians to report to the nearest Police formation with information about her. The two children, a six-year-old boy and three-year-old girl, disappeared with the maid after their mother sent the house help, Busayo, to bring them home from school. Read more
Ogun command arrests two for robbing female lecturer (Punch)
Men of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested two men, who allegedly robbed a female lecturer at the Unity area of Iyesi Ota in Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area of the state. The two suspects, Ramon Akindele, 22, and Paul King, 20, were arrested following a distress call by the victim, one Busola Salako, at about 11.00pm on Friday, November 30, 2018, that her house was under the siege of armed robbers. On receiving the call, the Divisional Police Officer, Onipanu Division, Sangobiyi Johnson, reportedly mobilised anti-robbery officers to the scene and the two suspects were arrested with the help of members of the community. Read more