Lagos seals 45 residential, commercial buildings in Lagos Island (Guardian)
No fewer than 45 residential and commercial buildings along Admiralty Way, Lekki, have been sealed by officials of Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), for alleged illegal extension of development on canal setbacks.
The issuance of contravention notices was carried out by the enforcement and demolition gangs of LASBCA and officials of the Nigeria Police Force, led by LASBCA General Manager, Gbolahan Oki.
Speaking during the exercise, which was carried out specifically on Omoninrire Johnson Street and Hunponu Wusu Road, Off Admiralty Way, Lekki, the general manager said the buildings were sealed for contravening the physical planning regulations of the state, noting that the violators had the grace period of three days to remove the illegal constructions.
He explained that the setback areas with interlocking tiles should be a green area, stressing that the enforcement was in furtherance of the state government’s effort at regulating physical planning development in the state. Read more
FRSC impounds 835 articulated vehicles in Lagos (Sun)
Lagos Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it has impounded about 835 articulated vehicles in 2020 under its Operation Scorpion I, II and III.
The state Sector Commander, Mr Olusegun Ogungbemide, gave the figure at a conference in Lagos last week, on: “Curbing Crashes Involving Articulated Vehicles,” jointly organised by FRSC, Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) and Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS), Lagos State.
He added: “The FRSC, Lagos Sector Command, had in recent times adopted and engaged in some home-grown operational initiatives. One of such was code-named Operation Scorpion I, II and III.
”The operation, the first of which was held in 2016 and subsequently carried out in 2020, was introduced to wage a total war against haulage servicing vehicles that operate below required and globally acceptable safety standards. “The operation recorded 835 articulated vehicles booked for various offences ranging from failure to properly secure containerised goods with the aid of proper latching hooks, to operating with worn-out tyres and other observed mechanical deficiencies.” Read more
Sanwo-Olu names new LASU governing council members (Guardian)
The governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu has appointed a former Accountant-General and Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Finance, David Sunmoni, and 12 others as Lagos State University (LASU) Governing Council members.
Special adviser to Sanwo Olu on education Tokunbo Wahab in a statement said Sunmoni is to serve as the chairman of the 13-member LASU Governing Council.
Wahab said their appointment was based on the consideration of the report of the Special Visitation Panel on the appointment of the 9th Vice-Chancellor which recommended the dissolution of the previous governing council of the university and by the powers conferred on the governor by the Lagos State University Law, Cap L69 volume 7, Laws of Lagos State, 2015 (as amended).
Members of the council are David Sunmoni, Professor Amuwo Shaffudeen, Mr Anuoluwa ESO, Mr Tolani Sule, Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, Mr Karl Toriola, Mr Adekunle Soname, Mrs Foluke Abdul- Rasaq, Mrs Moronke Williams, Barrister Adebayo Akinsanya, Mrs Adenike Yomi Fasheun, Mrs Mojisola Tolagbe Taiwo and Dr. Hakeem Adetugbobo. Read more
Flee from juicy, irresistible temptations, CJN tells new Court of Appeal Justices (Vanguard)
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, on Monday, swore-in 18 justices into the Court of Appeal bench, even as he warned them to flee from “juicy and irresistible temptations”.
The CJN said the new appellate court Justices must against all odds, conduct their affairs within the ambit of the law and the oath that was administered on them.
“We are not here for long speeches but simply to realign your minds with what is expected of you at this very high and enviable level of adjudication.
“Many high profile cases would definitely come to you on appeal; and they may likely come in company of some juicy, irresistible temptations, but I am making it clear to you now that you must flee from such disguised danger. Read more
Passengers stranded in bush as Abuja-Kaduna train breaks down
(Punch)
Passengers travelling from Kaduna to Abuja on the Nigerian Railway Corporation’s train service on Monday were left stranded in Dutse, Kaduna, after the train conveying them broke down due to mechanical failure.
Officials of the NRC at the Abuja/Kaduna Station confirmed that the train developed mechanical issues some minutes into the two and half hours journey.
It was gathered that the train took off from the Rigasa Station in Kaduna and stopped twice on the way before getting to Dutse where it eventually packed up.
Although operators of the service claimed that they sent a rescue locomotive to quickly pick the travellers, some passengers alleged that they spent about three hours before they were moved out of the area. Read more
40 oil firms in possession of dormant refinery licenses (Sun)
Early hopes of Nigeria’s refining capacity growing by 1,862,000 million barrels per day (bpd) has further been dashed as 40 firms are currently in possession of dormant refinery license, a Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) refinery status report has revealed.
Latest data from the DPR on the status of refinery licenses as at May 2021, further revealed that the 40 refineries are all with no active refinery license/approval.
The DPR refinery license status report indicated that as at May 2021, a total of 68 refineries license and approval had been granted, out of which 40 are inactive.
A further breakdown of the number of license and approval granted by categories are; eight License to Establish(LTE), 25 not active License to Establish(LTE), 19 Approval to Construct/Relocation(ATC/R), 15 not active ATC/R and 1 License to Operate active license/approval. Read more
Student protesting tuition hike shot dead inKaduna (DailyTrust)
A student of the Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya, Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has been shot dead.
The deceased had joined his colleagues, who were protesting over hike in school fees, when security operatives made attempt to disperse them forcefully.
Passengers trapped in the bush as Abuja-Kaduna train breaks down
Press Freedom: The case for regulation
Speaking with Daily Trust, one of the protesters, who preferred anonymity, said they came out to protest over the increase of school fees in the state-owned institution but met security operatives outside the college.
Our correspondent also gathered that one student identified as Emmanuel Nata was also shot but he is currently receiving treatment. Read more
Alleged fraud: ICPC to arraign ex-JAMB Registrar, Ojerinde July 6 (Punch)
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission will on July 6 arraign the former Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, for alleged N900 million fraud.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu fixed the date on Monday, after counsel to the ICPC, Ebenezer Shogunle, disagreed with the terms of the plea bargain application the defence counsel, P.A.O. Olorunnisola, SAN, had planned to file before the court.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the operatives of the anti-corruption commission had, on March 15, 2021, arrested Ojerinde, in Abuja, on allegations bordering on misappropriation of funds.
The commission said the former chief executive officer allegedly committed multiple frauds while heading JAMB and the National Examination Council. Read more
BET Awards 2021: Burna Boy wins Best Int’l Act for three historic time (Vanguard)
The Grammy award-winning Afro-fusion pioneer, Burna Boy, has added yet another international award to his repertoire by winning Best International Act at the 2021 BET Awards which held Sunday night.
With this win, the African Giant becomes the first African artiste to bag three BET nominations and wins consecutively, having won the BET Award in 2019, 2020 and now in 2021.
The BET Awards, an American awards show, was established to celebrate African- Americans in music, acting, sports and other fields of entertainment over the past year and this past year has been phenomenal for the talented singer.
Nominated alongside Nigeria’s Wizkid, Diamond Platnumz from Tanzania, Emicida from Brazil, Headie One and Young T & Bugsey from the UK and Youssoupha from France, Burna Boy, emerged winner, proving once again why he’s one of the biggest and most successful African artistes. Read more
Cardi B reveals pregnancy at BET Awards (BBC)
Cardi B pulled a Beyoncé at Sunday’s BET Awards – using her performance with Migos to reveal she’s expecting a second baby with her partner, Offset.
The star took to the stage in a diamante-studded outfit, with a cut-out section for her baby bump.
The big announcement was confirmed shortly afterwards with an Instagram post, simply captioned “#2”.
Cardi won two prizes at the ceremony, best video and best collaboration, for WAP – a duet with Megan Thee Stallion. Read more
New Jackie Collins documentary ‘Lady Boss’ reappraises writer’s legacy (USAToday)
Raunchy sex. A family hacked to death with a machete. Incest. Rape. Philandering. Even raunchier sex. And that’s just in the first 60 pages of a single one of Jackie Collins’ many books, her 1983 mega-bestselling hit “Hollywood Wives.”
There was a period of time in the ‘70s and ‘80s when a dog-eared Collins book with a cracked spine could be found on nearly every woman’s nightstand – or being read by flashlight under the covers by their precocious teenage daughters. (Those same women were watching her sister, Joan Collins, every week on “Dynasty.”) With the astronomical popularity ofthe British author’s steamy novels came a fair bit of cultural handwringing. Was Collins, who died of breast cancer at age 77 in 2015, the queen of trash, as her critics railed, a shameless smut peddler – or was she an empowering feminist icon worthy of respect?
Why, in fact, could she not be both?
In this Feb. 12, 1968 file photo, author Jackie Collins holds her first book, “The World Is Full Of Married Men,” at her apartment in London. The author is the subject of the new documentary “Lady Boss,” premiering June 10 at the Tribeca Film Festival.
That’s the contention of a new documentary about the author, “Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins Story,” directed by Laura Fairrie (premieres Sunday on CNN). Read more
Miami building collapse: Relatives face agonising wait for news (BBC)
Anguished families face an agonising wait for information about their loved ones following the Miami building collapse last Thursday.
Nine people have been confirmed dead and 152 people are still missing.
On Sunday, a number of relatives were taken to the site, some shouting the names of their missing family members in the hope of getting a response.
Those missing include a devoted grandmother, a beloved teacher and the sister of Paraguay’s first lady. Read more
UK bans world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance (RT)
Britain’s financial watchdog has ordered one of the world’s largest crypto-exchange networks, Binance, to shut down all regulated activities in the UK. The ban comes amid growing scrutiny of digital assets across the world.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) also issued a warning to consumers about Binance Markets Limited, the network’s only regulated UK entity, as well as the wider Binance group.
“A significantly high number of crypto-asset businesses are not meeting the required standards” under money-laundering regulations, the FCA said in an email cited by MarketWatch.
“Of the firms we’ve assessed to date, over 90% have withdrawn applications following our intervention,” the regulator added. Read more
Boat carrying 20 dead people found floating off Grand Turk island (NYPost)
A boat with 20 dead people aboard was found about a mile off Grand Turk island last week, authorities announced Sunday.
The small vessel was found Thursday by fishermen who alerted police.
Takara Bain, a communications officer with the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, said investigators had ruled out foul play but are still working to determine how the deaths occurred.
The small boat appears to have arrived from outside the Caribbean, according to Police Commissioner Trevor Botting.
Botting added that authorities do not believe the boat’s destination was the Turks and Caicos. Read more
As China’s Communist Party turns 100, economic challenges loom (AlJazeera)
Private education companies that provide extracurricular lessons to legions of Chinese children are in the crosshairs of the government, as officials seek to ease pressure on students and the financial burden on families.
Though aimed at private tutoring firms, the crackdown is symptomatic of wider systemic problems facing China as the ruling Communist Party celebrates its 100th anniversary this week.
Falling birth rates and a rapidly ageing population spell trouble for China’s future economic growth.
Income inequality, regional economic divides, and wide gaps in opportunity between rural and urban citizens were issues highlighted by China’s President Xi Jinping in a late January speech as pressing matters the nation must tackle to reach what he called an era of “common prosperity” in the coming years. Read more
Côte d’Ivoire’s Gbagbo gets star treatment on return to home village of Mama (RFI)
Former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo was given a triumphant welcome in his home town of Mama on Sunday, his first visit to the provinces since he came back from Europe 10 days ago having been acquitted by the ICC.
Inhabitants of the village of Mama, around 300km north-west of Abidjan, had been eagerly anticipating Gbagbo’s visit.
Some 5,000 supporters turned out to greet him as he was driven into Mama’s main square, mobbing his vehicle in excitement, reported RFI’s correspondent François Hume-Ferkatadji.
“It’s marvellous,” screamed one woman scrambling to try and get a look at the man they still call “president of Cote d’Ivoire”. Read more
Wimbledon 2021: Aryna Sabalenka eases into women’s second round on day one (BBC)
World-number-four Aryna Sabalenka dominated Monica Niculescu to reach round two at Wimbledon on the opening day of the 2021 Championships.
The Belarusian – number two seed in the women’s draw – took 29 minutes to seal set one and closed out a 6-1 6-4 win.
Niculescu – world number 191 – drew support from the Wimbledon crowd in the face of a relentless early onslaught.
But Sabalenka repeatedly punished the serve of her rival and saw off the threat of a second-set fight back. Read more
Meet Erriyon Knighton, the 17-year-old who broke Usain Bolt’s record and is now an Olympian (USAToday)
The 17-year-old Florida native announced himself as one of the rising stars in U.S. track and field Sunday, finishing third in the men’s 200-meter final at the Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
A would-be rising senior in high school, Knighton figures to be one of the youngest athletes on Team USA this summer, where he will not only compete but also have a legitimate shot at winning a medal.
He is believed to be the youngest American man to make the Olympic track and field team since Jim Ryun in 1964.
Erriyon Knighton announced himself as one of the rising stars in U.S. track and field Sunday.
Here are five things to know about the 17-year-old sprinting star. Read more
US Olympic trials: Sydney McLaughlin breaks women’s 400m hurdles world record (BBC)
Sydney McLaughlin set a new women’s 400m hurdles world record with a time of 51.90 seconds in the final of the US Olympic athletics trials in Oregon, which was affected by a heatwave.
McLaughlin, 21, beat Olympic and world champion Dalilah Muhammad, whose record she broke after a temperature of 44C (111F) delayed racing to the evening.
“There’s no animosity, just two great athletes pushing each other,” she said.
Noah Lyles won the men’s 200m in a world-leading 19.74secs.
Sydney McLaughlin: On chasing perfection in Tokyo
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World champion Lyles finished ahead of Kenny Bednarek (19.78secs), with 17-year-old Erriyon Knighton third in 19.84secs. Read more
Djokovic overcomes Wimbledon scare to get record pursuit off to winning start (RFI)
Defending champion Novak Djokovic overcame an early scare to reach the Wimbledon second round on Monday with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win over Britain’s 253rd-ranked Jack Draper.
World number one Djokovic is chasing a sixth Wimbledon title and 20th major and is halfway to becoming just the third man in history to complete a calendar Grand Slam.
It’s a feat so rare that Rod Laver was the last man to achieve the sweep back in 1969.
However, as Wimbledon returned after its 2020 cancellation due to the pandemic, the 34-year-old struggled on the slippery Centre Court surface with the roof closed above it due to rain. Read more
Chauncey Billups outrage could push Damian Lillard to Knicks (NYPost)
So much for Damian Lillard’s initial support of the Trail Blazers hiring Chauncey Billups as head coach.
A Yahoo Sports Sunday piece penned by Chris Haynes, a Lillard confidant, stated Lillard never suggested Billups as a potential hire and didn’t know about a sexual assault allegation made against Billups more than two decades ago.
Lillard has been receiving social-media backlash that he initiated the hiring of Billups, who finalized a five-year deal on Sunday, according to ESPN.
The hullabaloo could push Lillard “out the door,” along with his doubts about whether the Blazers can build a title team, according to Haynes. Lillard originally stated on social media he’d love for his fellow Oakland, Calif. product Jason Kidd to get the job before Kidd withdrew his name and eventually landed the Dallas Mavericks job. Read more
Police probe banner left near home of ex-Liverpool boss Benitez ahead of proposed move to rivals Everton (RT)
Merseyside police have launched an investigation after a banner threatening former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez should he join city rivals Everton was reportedly found near the Spaniard’s family home in north-west England.
The banner, which was a white sheet with crudely-drawn black lettering, read “We know where you live. Don’t sign” and was said to have been placed in an area close to the home in the Wirral that Benitez has occupied since his time with Liverpool between 2004 and 2010. However, police said that the attempted aggressors placed the banner outside a house which was not owned by Benitez, suggesting that the premise of the protest is slightly skewed. Read more