Lagos sample tests near 264, 000, says Abayomi (Nation)
Lagos State Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi said yesterday that the state government had conducted 263,358 valid COVID-19 sample tests since inception of the pandemic.
Abayomi stated this on his verified Twitter account @ProfAkinAbayomi while giving the state’s COVID-19 update for January 17.
The commissioner said 285, 948 total samples were tested of which 263, 358 were valid.
He said the remaining 22,590 were repeat tested samples. According to him, 41,374 of the tested samples were diagnosed positive for COVID-19. Read more
2 remanded for engine oil adulteration (Punch)
Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court in Lagos, on Wednesday, ordered the remand of two businessmen, Vanger Luper and Bright Ogbuagu, in the Ikoyi Correctional Centre for the alleged adulteration of automobile engine oil.
The businessmen were arraigned by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria on five counts bordering on dealing in substandard engine oil and fraudulently claiming that they were genuine products.
The men pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The defendants were alleged to have committed the offences on December 23, 2020, at the United Allied Spare Part Dealers Association Trade Fair Complex on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. Read more
FG extends NIN, SIM linkage deadline to Feb. 9 (DailyTrust)
The Federal Government has extended the deadline for linking the National Identity Numbers to SIM registration database, the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) said yesterday.
ALTON, in a statement, said it had received a formal confirmation from the Nigerian Communications Commission that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the extension of the deadline for subscribers with NIN to link it to their SIM registration data from January 19 to February 9, 2021.
“We want to thank the president for giving us more time to deliver on this all-important assignment of creating a credible national identity database for the country. We’re also grateful to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Ali Pantami, for his commitment to enabling digital economy’’, the association said in the statement jointly signed its chairman Gbenga Adebayo and publicity secretary, Damian Udeh. Read more
Uproar over Ondo quit notice to criminal herders (Guardian)
Uproar caused by a quit notice given by Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to unregistered herdsmen to vacate state forest reserves within seven days has deepened.
The governor gave the notice on Monday during a meeting with leaders of Hausa/Fulani and Ebira communities in the state.
At the meeting held at Cocoa Conference Hall of the Governor’s office, Alagabaka, Akure, the governor said activities of herdsmen had for long threatened the security of the state.
The Presidency, in its reaction, argued that ‘’insecurity is not alien to any group, the language they speak, their geographical location or their faith.’’ Read more
Osinbajo expresses concern as survey exposes corruption in regulatory agencies (DailyTrust)
A survey conducted by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) has exposed major pitfalls in the operations of some federal government regulatory agencies.
The Cost of Compliance Report was presented to the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council at its first virtual meeting of the year on Tuesday.
The report revealed persistent corruption, duplicity of functions, poor service orientation, and several anti-business dispositions in some of the regulatory agencies.
As a result, PEBEC resolved that CEOs and heads of some federal government regulatory agencies be presented with the outcome of the recent survey in a renewed attempt at further deepening the reforms of the nation’s business environment. Read more
Mother, baby crushed as truck evades police van (Nation)
A woman and her baby girl died yesterday afternoon, as a tipper truck rammed into a moving tricycle in Effurun, Uvwie council area of Delta State.
The Nation learnt that the incident occurred near PTI Junction about 1:30 pm.
An eyewitnesses said the driver of the sand-laden truck drove into the tricycle as he tried to evade a police van which was chasing the vehicle of a suspected internet fraudster.
Another source claimed it was the police van that hit the tricycle, pushing it in front of the truck which led to the fatal accident. Read more
Booking system malfunctions as crowds return for NIN enrolment (Guardian)
The booking system introduced by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to hasten National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment across its offices and centres nationwide seems not to be working, or is rather very slow, as Nigerians in their droves troop out for the exercise.
Besides, some applicants have expressed grievances over the development, claiming that the dates handed them fell into March, April, and beyond.
Consequently, they are worried about what becomes of their fate with 18 days to the February 9 deadline.
The NIMC, on December 30, 2020, said all NIN applicants would be attended via a “Booking System.” Read more
Afe Babalola, Fayemi hail Kukah on Papal’s appointment (Punch)
Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi and the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola, on Wednesday congratulated the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev Matthew Hassan Kukah, on his appointment by Pope Francis into the Papal Dicastery on the Promotion of Integral Human Development.
Fayemi said that the appointment was an unequivocal expression of Pope Francis’ confidence in Bishop Kukah’s ability to be an “impeccable advisor on a wide range of human development issues.”
In a statement titled, ‘Fayemi congratulates Kukah on appointment into Papal Dicastery,’ by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, in Ado Ekiti, Fayemi said, he had no doubt that the Bishop would bring his competence and character to bear on his new role.
He said, “It goes without saying that your role as a pastor, social commentator, public intellectual, peace-maker, interfaith conciliator and fighter for the rights of the underprivileged, readily recommend you for this latest addition to your enviable pedigree as a social justice crusader”. Read more
Who is Amanda Gorman, Biden’s inauguration poet? (BBC)
Amanda Gorman has become the youngest poet ever to perform at a presidential inauguration, calling for “unity and togetherness” in her self-penned poem.
The 22-year-old delivered her work The Hill We Climb to both the dignitaries present in Washington DC and a watching global audience.
“When day comes, we ask ourselves where can we find light in this never-ending shade?” her five-minute poem began.
She went on to reference the storming of the Capitol earlier this month. Read more
Mum who saved £25k in a year reveals the money mistakes you’re probably making (Metro)
If 2021 is the year you vowed to get your finances in check, it might seem like you have a lot to learn to get you on the starting track. We aren’t all given a good financial education growing up, or the opportunities to learn good financial literacy early on, but thankfully it’s never too late to learn. We’ve shared lots of ideas for how to save money and how to budget, but even if you’re doing all these bits, you might be falling into some common traps. These are some of the money mistakes to avoid on your way to reaching your financial goals, whether that’s getting out of debt, paying off your mortgage, or just saving up for a special holiday. Read more
Biden sets to work on reversing Trump policies with executive orders (BBC)
US President Joe Biden has begun to undo some of Donald Trump’s key policies, hours after being sworn in.
“There is no time to waste when it comes to tackling the crises we face,” he tweeted as he headed to the White House following his inauguration.
President Biden signed 15 executive orders, firstly to boost the federal response to the coronavirus crisis.
Other orders reverse the Trump administration’s stance on climate change and immigration. Read more
Mum cuts £50 from weekly shopping bill by batch cooking 108 meals at a time (Metro)
If you want to cut your weekly food shopping bill, one mum says the key is to batch cook. She’s managed to save up to £50 a week by whipping up over 100 meals at a time. Donna Steed, 50, says her method helps to save them money and means she doesn’t have to cook in the evening as the food can be put in the microwave. The mum, from Aberdeen, Scotland, did have to set aside a whole week to make all the food just before Christmas but she hasn’t had to cook since. Read more
European, other world leaders welcome Joe Biden (VOA)
There were words of welcome Wednesday from across the world for Joe Biden as he was sworn in as America’s 46th president. They were mixed with parting shots from some leaders aimed at his predecessor, Donald Trump, who left Washington hours before the swearing-in.
As the inauguration has been atypical — with no crowds and the Capitol guarded by thousands of National Guardsmen — so, too, the reaction has been out of the ordinary from overseas leaders.
Some European leaders who had tempestuous relations with Donald Trump did not hold back on their relief at seeing President Biden installed.
“Once again, after four long years, Europe has a friend in the White House,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday. Read more
Elephants counted from space for conservation (BBC)
At first, the satellite images appear to be of grey blobs in a forest of green splotches – but, on closer inspection, those blobs are revealed as elephants wandering through the trees.
And scientists are using these images to count African elephants from space.
The pictures come from an Earth-observation satellite orbiting 600km (372 miles) above the planet’s surface.
The breakthrough could allow up to 5,000 sq km of elephant habitat to be surveyed on a single cloud-free day. Read more
Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, won the inaugural fashion show (NYPost)
All eyes are on Ella.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, stepped out on the Capitol balcony in an eye-catching look for the inauguration, fitting for the fashionista who is in her senior year at Parsons School of Design.
The 21-year-old Brooklynite — one commentator declared her “first daughter of Bushwick,” referring to the hipster neighborhood — paired a purple Batsheva brand dress with a dramatic Miu Miu tweed coat embellished with yellow crystal beading and a white lace collar.
Meena Harris, the VP’s niece, wore a similarly feminine frock in bright green paired with sparkly heeled boots in silver.
Emhoff’s dress was designed by Upper West Sider Batsheva Hay, who is known for her prairie-style dresses with ruffled accents. Her plaid coat, which accented her waist and exaggerated her shoulders, was from last year’s Miu Miu runway collection. Read more
Aruna, Omotayo, others battle for $.6m at WTT tourneys (Punch)
Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Olajide Omotayo will battle for $600,000 at the two World Table Tennis events taking place in Qatar between March 3 and 13.
The table tennis stars, who are the top-ranked Nigerian players, will join other global icons for the events at the Lusail Sports Arena in Doha.
According to the International Table Tennis Federation, the Middle East Hub will feature two tiers of the new WTT event structure with WTT Contender Doha kick-starting the tournament before players move onto the first WTT Star Contender event the following week, providing the perfect preparation for some of the world’s leading stars to be challenged by the best up-and-coming athletes in table tennis. Read more
Cristiano Ronaldo sets new record in Juventus win (Nation)
Cristiano Ronaldo has made in history after becoming the all-time top goalscorer in football after scoring for Juventus in their clash against Napoli.
The 35-year-old was expected to reach the stunning landmark against Inter on Sunday after edging closer to history by scoring against Sassuolo last week to level to record – but failed to get on the scoresheet in the 2-0 loss.
Instead, the legendary Juve forward waited for the big occasion in the Italian Super Cup and duly delievered against Gennaro Gattuso’s men as he found the back of the net in the 64th minute – sending his special career to new incredible heights. A corner was swung over and Napoli fluffed their lines – leaving Ronaldo with the perfect opportunity to thump into the net left-footed.
That effort moved him above Josef Bican – with the Austrian-Czech striker scoring 759 goals between 1931 and 1955. Read more
Conor McGregor names five fighters he could face after Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 (Metro)
Conor McGregor insists he will not go hunting the Khabib Nurmagomedov rematch after UFC 257 and has named a string of UFC lightweights he will be happy to take on. The Notorious has his hands full this Saturday in a lightweight main event against Dustin Poirier, the winner of which will likely challenge for the 155lb belt in their next fight. Khabib still holds the lightweight title and there is a chance that McGregor could secure a rematch with the Eagle if he beats Poirier, but that will be almost entirely down to the champion, who may choose to retire instead. Read more
Pogba fires Man Utd back to top with stunning winner against Fulham (BBC)
Paul Pogba scored a superb winner as Manchester United reclaimed top spot in the Premier League by coming from behind for a club-record equalling away win at Fulham.
In what is becoming a familiar pattern for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side outside Manchester this season, they fell behind early in the game, with Ademola Lookman beating the offside trap before firing in an angled drive.
But for the seventh time away from Old Trafford in 2020-21, United found a winning response – taking their run to 17 games unbeaten away in the Premier League – courtesy of a gift from their opponents and a bit of magic from their French midfielder.
Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola has been a good addition for the Cottagers but in dropping Bruno Fernandes’ cross at the feet of Edinson Cavani, he gifted his former Paris St-Germain team-mate the simplest of equalisers. Read more
Jurgen Klopp issues ‘really promising’ Virgil van Dijk injury update (Metro)
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says Virgil can Dijk’s recovery from a serious knee injury is ‘really promising’ and there is still a possibility the defender could play again this season. The Dutchman has been out of action since October when he suffered an ACL injury in the Merseyside derby against Everton. The 29-year-old is going to miss months of action thanks to the tackle from Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, but it has never been clear exactly how long he is going to be out for. While it remains certain that the centre-back will miss the majority of the current season, there is still hope he could play before the end of the campaign as his recovery is going as well as could be expected. Read more
Knicks’ Immanuel Quickley relishing Stephen Curry challenge (NYPost)
Rookie point guard Immanuel Quickley may just have the moxie to play fearlessly against Warriors megastar Stephen Curry when the Knicks (7-8) begin their four-game West Coast trip Thursday in San Francisco.
Quickley said he feels coach Tom Thibodeau’s defense-savvy Knicks have a solid game plan for the high-flying Warriors (7-6), who no longer are championship caliber, but still boast a formidable offense led by Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and 2020 No. 2 pick James Wiseman.
These aren’t last season’s league-worst Warriors. On Monday, Golden State beat the Lakers on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“It’s going to be cool,’’ Quickley said after Wednesday’s practice at the Warriors’ new downtown arena. “I feel our team is really locked in. Steph Curry is a great player — one of my favorite players that I grew up watching. It’s just how well he plays, how much fun he has on the court. The whole West Coast trip is going to be good for us.’’
The electric Quickley patterned his game after Curry, who, like the Knicks rookie, is a deft 3-point shooter and exudes an abundance of enthusiasm. Read more