Lagos Public Defender secures N1.5m compensation for worker (DailyTrust)
The Lagos State Office of the Public Defender (OPD) has secured compensation for one of its clients, Muraina Taiwo, against Nahman Construction Ltd.
OPD is the agency of the state government in charge of free legal services for residents.
The Director, OPD, Dr. Babajide Martins, said Justice Mustapha Tijani of the National Industrial Court, Lagos Division, ordered the defendant, Nahman Construction Ltd to pay N1.5 million to its former employee, Muraina Taiwo, as compensation for trauma and pains suffered.
He said the court also ordered the defendant to pay the claimant’s salary from August 2015 to the date of judgment delivery.
This was contained in a statement by Mahmud Hassan, Head of Public Affairs Unit of OPD. Read more
LCC rescues pedestrian injured by hit-and-run driver (Punch)
An injured pedestrian, identified simply as Silva, has been rescued by officials of the Lekki Concession Company after being hit by a hit-and-run driver.
It was gathered that Silva was hit by the driver around 7am in the Jakande area of the Lekki-Epe Expressway.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the LCC patrol team administered first aid to the victim and later transferred him to the Lagos Island General through the Lagos State Ambulance Service.
Commenting on the incident, the Managing Director, LCC, Yomi Omomuwasan, said the company paid the victim’s hospital bill as part of its social corporate responsibility. Read more
Six communities get boreholes, others (Guardian)
At least six communities have benefited from the empowerment scheme designed to alleviate the suffering of the people of Ojo and Iba Local Government Areas of Lagos State.
The lawmaker representing Ojo Federal Constituency in Lagos, Tajudeen Obasa, donated 10 mechanised boreholes, 100 pieces of laptops and 12 motorcycles to support constituents.
He disclosed that the programme was in response to the yearning of the people for adequate water supply in the area and to deliver dividends of democracy to the ordinary people in the society.
He stated that because of incessant poor power supply, the constituency designed a mechanised borehole system to enable people to have water supply daily.
“This is not like any other borehole donated by some politicians across the country with no human face that has little or no impact on the people,” he said. Read more
Lagos airports record 1m passenger- traffic in Q1 2021 (Sun)
Passenger traffic at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA Lagos, in the first quarter of this years rose to over million with aircraft movement of 4,542 according to reports from the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
The international airport recorded a total of 149,557 arrivals and 174,194 departures in the first quarter of the year.
In January, MMIA recorded 59,910 arrivals while in February it had 39,795 with March 49,852 arrivals in March. Aircraft movements during the period included 2,280 arrivals, while departures were put at 2,262. Aircraft movement for January were 791 arrivals , February 729 and March 760, while departures in January were782, February 726 and 754 in March. From the domestic airport terminal, Lagos, a total of 402,519 passenger arrivals were recorded between January to March, while departures stood at 337,041 with aircraft movements of 6,686 arrivals and departures 5,876. Read more
Buhari returns after 15-day UK medical sojourn (Punch)
President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday returned to Nigeria from London.
Recall that Buhari travelled to London, United Kingdom on March 30 for “routine medical check-up.”
Adesina had announced that the President would return to the country in the second week of April.
The presidential jet that conveyed Buhari and some of his close aides landed at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja around 4.45pm. Read more
Northern govs task Acting IGP on proactive security measures (Vanguard)
The Northern Governors’ Forum has congratulated the Acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba over his recent appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to pay attention to proactive measures in tackling crime in the country.
Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong in a statement by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Makut Macham said the appointment of the Acting IGP is well deserved considering his track record of diligent service to the nation across various police formations in the country.
While wishing him a successful tenure, Governor Lalong said the Northern Governors Forum will accord him all the necessary support to enable him provide the leadership needed for proactive policing that deters crime, effectively tracks criminals and generally attracts the goodwill of the public. Read more
Rivers, Kano, Lagos Voters Determine Presidential Election Winner – Wike (DailyTrust)
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has said that those jostling to be president of Nigeria will also need to secure votes in Rivers, Kano and Lagos to be victorious.
He said that such a pivotal position establishes the importance of Rivers State in the political scheme of the country, which nobody would be allowed to undermine.
Governor Wike made the assertion at the grand finale of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Local Government Election Campaign that was held at Ulakwo in Etche LGA on Thursday.
“I keep telling the PDP that no state has given more votes to the party than Rivers. And it is only in Rivers, in the whole of the South-South that the All Progressives Congress (APC) didn’t get 25 per cent votes in the 2019 general elections. We taught them a lesson. Read more
Ogun corn seller alleges SARS killed husband, demands N20m (Punch)
A maize seller in Ajibawo community of Ogun State, Fatimo Elegbede, on Thursday, demanded the sum of N20m as compensation for the “unjust killing” of her husband, Segun Elegbede, by operatives of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad in the state.
Elegbede had filed a petition before Ogun State Judicial Panel on Police Brutality complaining that her husband was shot and dragged away to an unknown destination by the SARS operatives.
She narrated that SARS operatives stormed her place in Ajibawo for an operation led by one ASP Adeyemi Ganiu in October 2016. Read more
Ramadan: BECCF calls on Zulum, traders to help reduce prices of commodities (Vanguard)
The Borno Emirate Concerned Citizens Forum (BECCF) on Thursday called on governor Babagana Umara Zulum to reverse the State Government Policies in harassing petty traders on outright displacement from their business points and increase in tax which made it difficult for marketers not to increase the prices of their commodities.
The Forum also called on security agencies to provide adequate security on highways, and desist from extorting money from commuters which in turn, led to marketers and commuters shift the burden to their customers.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of BECCF, Zanna Hassan Boguma on the need to avoid price hike and subsequently reduce prices of commodities during the Holy Month of Ramadan held at NUJ press centre, Maiduguri. Read more
Mississippi man partially paralyzed, unable to talk after J&J vaccine (NYPost)
Brad Malagarie, the Mississippi man who was left paralyzed after a reaction to the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
Brad Malagarie (left), the Mississippi man who was left paralyzed after a reaction to the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.Facebook
A Mississippi man who experienced a blood clot after receiving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, has been left paralyzed on one side of his body and unable to talk, his family said.
Brad Malagarie, 43, of St. Martin, suffered a stroke soon after stepping out last week to get the one-dose shot, news station WLOX reported.
“They called me and said he had that vaccine and something is wrong, we think it’s a stroke,” his aunt, Celeste Foster O’Keefe, told the outlet.
The father of seven was rushed to the hospital, where they determined that he had a stroke as a result of a blood clot in his brain, the outlet reported. Read more
Human cells grown in monkey embryos spark ethical debate (BBC)
Monkey embryos containing human cells have been made in a laboratory, a study has confirmed.
The research, by a US-Chinese team, has sparked fresh debate into the ethics of such experiments.
The scientists injected human stem cells – cells that have the ability to develop into many different body tissues – into macaque embryos.
The developing embryos were studied for up to 20 days. Read more
Big update to Google Earth introduces new Timelapse feature (USAToday)
Google Earth lets users visit any place on the planet. Now, you can see how those places have changed over time.
Google announced an update Thursday to the program which will allow users to explore the evolution of a location in timelapse form.
The company says they have compiled 24 million satellite photos from the past 37 years to create its Timelapse experience.
“With Timelapse in Google Earth, we have a clearer picture of our changing planet right at our fingertips — one that shows not just problems but also solutions, as well as mesmerizingly beautiful natural phenomena that unfold over decades,” said Rebecca Moore, the director of Google Earth, Earth Engine & Outreach, in a blog post Thursday. Read more
France passes grim milestone of 100,000 deaths from COVID-19 (France24)
France’s official COVID-19 death toll rose on Thursday to more than 100,000, marking a bleak milestone for President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
Data from the health ministry said French hospitals registered another 300 Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the overall tally to more than 100,000.
The country of 67 million is the eighth nation in the world to reach the mark after a year of overwhelmed hospitals, on-and-off coronavirus lockdowns and enormous personal losses that have left families nationwide grieving the pandemic’s impact.
The moment prompted a message of solidarity from President Emmanuel Macron. Read more
John Corbett reveals he is part of the ‘Sex and the City’ reboot (PageSix)
And just like that … Aidan is back.
“Sex and the City” star John Corbett revealed to Page Six that he will reprise his role of Carrie Bradshaw’s ex-fiancé, Aidan Shaw, in the hotly anticipated show reboot.
“I’m going to do the show,” he told us in a new interview, adding that the news is “very exciting” for him.
As for how many episodes he’ll appear in, Corbett said, “I think I might be in quite a few.”
“I like all those people, they’ve been very nice to me,” he added.
HBO declined to comment. Read more
Rusty Young, a founding member of the country rock band Poco, dies at 75 (USAToday)
Rusty Young, founding member of the country rock band Poco, has died at age 75.
Young’s management confirmed to USA TODAY Thursday that Young, born Norman Russell Young, died of a heart attack at his home in Davisville, Missouri on Wednesday.
“I just received word that my friend Rusty Young has passed away and crossed that line into eternity,” founding member Richie Furay said in a statement to Variety. “My heart is saddened; he was a dear and longtime friend who help me pioneer and create a new Southern California musical sound called ‘country rock.’ He was an innovator on the steel guitar and carried the name Poco on for more than 50 years. Our friendship was real and he will be deeply missed. My prayers are with his wife, Mary, and his children Sara and Will.” Read more
China posts record GDP growth in first quarter as Covid-19 recovery accelerates (France 24)
China’s economy expanded at its fastest pace on record in the first quarter, data showed Friday, in a sharp turnaround from the historic contraction caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
The world’s second largest economy was the only major one to grow at all in 2020, supported by strong retail spending and industrial activity as well as better-than-expected exports as the virus hit markets around the world.
It marks the fastest pace since quarterly records began three decades ago, though the GDP figure of 18.3 percent is slightly below forecasts in an AFP survey of economists.
While the disease first emerged in central China in late 2019, the country was also the quickest to bounce back after authorities imposed strict control measures and consumers stayed home. Read more
Eagles lack identity, style under Rohr – Babangida, others (Punch)
Former Super Eagles stars Tijani Babangida, Sam Sodje and Ayo Makinwa say the current national team has lost their identity and they have called for an overhaul of the national coaching strategy, The PUNCH reports.
They also believe the Eagles don’t have a coherent playing style.
“What is our identity? We don’t even have one despite the bunch of talented players we have in the team,” Babangida, who was capped 40 times and scored five goals for the Eagles, said.
“When we were playing, we had a style of play because Clemens Westerhof at that time brought the Dutch football style to the country and the players imbibed it. That was how we played. Read more
Rampant Arsenal win in Prague to set up semi-final against Emery’s Villarreal (BBC)
Arsenal secured what manager Mikel Arteta called an “important win in a crucial moment” as they impressively swept aside Slavia Prague to reach the Europa League semi-finals.
The Gunners produced one of their best performances of the campaign to turn a potentially difficult night into a fine away victory.
With the tie evenly poised at 1-1, they scored three goals in the opening 24 minutes and had another ruled out by the video assistant referee – all-but ending the contest in the opening period.
It kept alive their hopes winning the competition – and with it their only realistic chance of European football next season. Read more
Dallas Wings take Texas star Charli Collier as the No. 1 overall pick in WNBA draft (USAToday)
The Dallas Wings didn’t have to look far to find a new player to build around.
With the No. 1 overall pick in Thursday’s WNBA draft, the Wings selected Texas star Charli Collier, a 6-foot-5 forward/center who helped put women’s basketball back on the map in Austin.
Collier, who averaged 19 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 51.1% from the field for the Longhorns in the 2020-21 season, was a WBCA All-America honorable mention, who helped lead No. 6 seed Texas to the Elite Eight of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. Her scoring average was the sixth-best in Texas program history, and she was only the fourth Longhorn to average a double-double over the course of a season — a feat she accomplished in each of the last two seasons. Read more
Arsenal, Man Utd, Roma and Villareal head to Europa League semifinals (France 24)
With their season on the line, Arsenal’s players produced a devastating first-half performance Thursday to beat Slavia Prague and reach the Europa League semifinals.
They’ll meet a familiar face there.
Arsenal’s 4-0 win in the Czech capital—secured courtesy of a three-goal burst in six minutes from the 18th—clinched a 5-1 aggregate victory and set up a last-four match against Villarreal, which is managed by Unai Emery.
The Spanish coach spent an underwhelming 18 months at Arsenal as Arsene Wenger’s replacement in 2018-19 and is rebuilding his managerial career at Villarreal, which beat Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 and advanced 3-1 on aggregate.
Manchester United and Roma complete the semifinal lineup. Read more
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: Arsenal forward treated in hospital for malaria (BBC)
Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been treated in hospital after he contracted malaria while on international duty with Gabon.
The 31-year-old scored in Gabon’s 3-0 win over DR Congo in Africa Cup of Nations qualification on 25 March.
He played in Arsenal’s Europa League quarter-final first leg against Slavia Prague on 8 April but missed Sunday’s win over Sheffield United.
“I’ve spent a few days in hospital this week,” he said on Instagram. Read more
Alec Burks exceeding Knicks’ wildest expectations (NYPost)
The only mistake Knicks president Leon Rose made during free agency this past November was not giving Alec Burks a two-year deal.
With his savvy and cool fourth-quarter shotmaking, Burks is emerging as an NBA Sixth Man of the Year candidate. His biggest competition, Jordan Clarkson, plays for the same Jazz outfit with which Burks spent the first 7½ seasons of his NBA career, much of it under the radar.
The Knicks signed Burks as a bench scorer and he has exceeded their wildest expectations in pulling out some games in the final period with his feathery shot.Burks, 29, signed a modest one-year, $6 million pact with the Knicks and will be a free agent this August. There’s no reason Rose won’t go to great lengths to retain him. Read more