Lagos to pay N85k minimum wage, says Sanwo-Olu (Punch)
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced that his government plans to pay workers a minimum wage of N85,000.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed this on Wednesday evening during an interview on Channels TV themed “One-On-One with Babajide Sanwo-Olu.”
“You mentioned minimum wage and what I need to throw in for my people. I’m glad to let you know that the minimum wage for Lagos, which we’ve discussed with our union, is N85,000 today.
“It’s not a competition, so I’m not going to say that we’re paying more than some other people; it’s a function of affordability and a function of capacity,” the governor said. Read more
Toddler dies of ‘‘cholera’’ in Lagos (Nation)
A toddler was reported dead yesterday in what is believed to be cholera in Isolo Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.
Scores were admitted in various hospitals in the council.
The toddler, whose identity was yet to be ascertained, was said to have died at a private hospital around the Ali Dada around Ago Palace Way last weekend. Read more
Reps to consider students’ sexual harassment bill at Committee of the Whole (Tribune)
The House of Representatives on Wednesday resolved to consider the bills seeking to prevent, prohibit and redress sexual harassment of Students in Tertiary Educational Institutions and for and for related matters to the Committee of the Whole.
The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of the motion sponsored by Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Francis Waive who underscored the need to re-commit the bill to the Committee of the Whole for consideration.
According to him, The House notes that pursuant to Order Twelve, Rule 17 of the Standing Orders, the House may, upon being re-gazetted or circulated, reconsider in the Committee of the Whole, without commencing de-novo, the Bill(s) (a) whose report was presented by the Committee before consideration: (b) passed by the House and forwarded to the Senate for concurrence for which no concurrence was made or negative; (c) passed by the Senate and forwarded to the House for which no concurrence was made or negative; (d) passed by the preceding Assembly and forwarded to the President for assent but for which assent or withholding therefore was not communicated before the end of the tenure of the preceding Assembly. Read more
Tinubu, Shettima’s absence: There’s no vacuum in leadership – Presidency (Vanguard)
The Presidency has stated that Nigeria’s constitution does not explicitly require the physical presence of either the President or the Vice President at all times to fulfill their duties. Therefore, there is no leadership vacuum in the country.
This clarification follows President Bola Tinubu’s two-week working vacation and Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent trip to Sweden for bilateral talks.
In a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the Presidency emphasized that both leaders remain fully engaged with national affairs despite their absence from the country. Read more
Explosion: Tinubu sends high-powered delegation to Jigawa (DailyTrust)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, to lead a Federal Government delegation to Jigawa to Commiserate with the victims of Tuesday night tanker explosion.
A tanker explosion in Majia town, Jigawa, reportedly claimed over 100 lives.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said the government delegation is expected to comprise of the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; Minister of Transportation, Senator Saidu Alkali; Corps Marshall of the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Shehu Mohammed; and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North West), Abdullahi Tanko Yakasai. Read more
Petrol loading agreement with Dangote Refinery almost finalised — IPMAN (Punch)
The National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Abubakar Maigandi, has assured Nigerians that ongoing negotiations with Dangote Refinery to begin direct loading of petrol from the 650,000-barrel-capacity refinery will be completed very soon.
He stated that the association is in talks with the firm on all necessary details and expressed optimism that the deal would soon be concluded.
Maigandi disclosed this at the inauguration of a monitoring and surveillance taskforce team to prevent oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism, adulteration of petroleum products, and other sharp practices on Wednesday in Abuja. Read more
Lagos mulls partnership with Swedish firm on waste to energy (Leadership)
The Lagos State government has said that it was considering partnership with some Sweden firms on how to turn both solid and liquid wastes to energy across the State.
The state’s Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who disclosed this after a meeting held with some stakeholders, said the state will continue to pay special attention to waste management.
He added that waste is not a waste but remains one of the best resources everywhere, saying waste to energy is a project that the state government was willing to embark on in order to move the narrative forward in a progressive and productive way. Read more
Why World Bank Wants Nigeria’s Hardship To Continue – Shehu Sani (NewTelegraph)
Former Senator who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th National Assembly, Shehu Sani has alleged that the World Bank wants Nigeria’s hardship to continue.
The former Lawmaker who spoke on his official X handle on Wednesday said World Bank wants the hardship in Nigeria to extend for another 15 years before reaching the promised land.
Sani wrote, “The World Bank wants the hardship to extend to the next fifteen years before we can reach the promised land. Read more
EFCC is an unlawful organisation – Olisa Agbakoba (Vanguard)
Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), human rights activist, and democracy scholar, Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, has written to both the Senate and the House of Representatives, asserting that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was unconstitutionally established by the Federal Government.
In his correspondence, Agbakoba highlighted constitutional hurdles hindering the fight against corruption and noted that some states are prepared to challenge the constitutionality of the anti-graft agency. He emphasized that this legal challenge would clarify the validity of the EFCC.
In two separate letters dated October 14, 2024, addressed to the chairmen of the respective Committees on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Agbakoba stated, “I strongly believe the EFCC is unconstitutionally established. The powers under which it was established exceed those of the National Assembly. The EFCC is an unlawful organization.” Read more
Liam Payne, former One Direction member, dead at 31 (CNN)
Liam Payne, a former member of boyband One Direction, has died after falling from the window of a hotel in Buenos Aires, according to police there. He was 31.
Payne’s death occurred Wednesday at a hotel on Costa Rica Street in the Palermo neighborhood, according to a statement from police provided to CNN.
Buenos Aires police said that personnel from the 14B Police Station went to the hotel on Wednesday afternoon after receiving a 911 call about an aggressive man who was possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The police’s statement did not identify that person as Payne. Read more
Cameron Diaz explains why stepping away from acting in 2014 was “something I had to do” (Deadline)
With an upcoming return to the screen next year, Cameron Diaz is opening up about her decade-long hiatus from acting.
The four-time Golden Globe nominee recently explained why she took an extensive break from Hollywood following her last role as Miss Hannigan in the 2014 Will Gluck-helmed update of Annie.
“For me, it was just something I had to do,” she said at Fortune‘s Most Powerful Women Summit. “It felt like something I had to do to reclaim my own life. And I just really didn’t care about anything else. I didn’t. Nobody’s opinion, nobody’s success, no one’s offer, no one’s anything could change my mind about my decision of taking care of myself and building the life that I really wanted to have. So, I think it really comes to: What are you passionate about? For me, it was to build my family.” Read more
Cynthia Erivo criticises ‘‘offensive’’ fan edit of “Wicked” poster (NME)
Cynthia Erivo has hit out at a fan who digitally altered her image from the “Wicked” film poster, saying it “degrades” her.
The official poster for the forthcoming movie musical was released last week and is similar in style to the iconic poster advertising the original musical. In it, Erivo as Elphaba stares into the camera while Ariana Grande as Glinda whispers in her ear.
In the new poster, both actors’ faces are visible, whereas in the original one, Elphaba’s eyes are hidden by the brim of her hat and is wearing red lipstick. The fan altered the new poster to make it closer in resemblance to the original. Read more
Liza Minnelli, 78, warns to “take care of your body” because “you might live longer than you expect’’ (People)
Liza Minnelli is aging gracefully and now she’s sharing some advice.
In a rare conversation for Interview magazine, the 78-year-old stressed the importance of prioritizing your physical wellbeing.
“I have one piece of advice: Take care of your body ’cause you might live longer than you expect to,” the EGOT winner said. “I just keep replacing parts and moving forward. You just deal with it and be happy, and as Dick Van Dyke sang and taught to me, ‘Put on a Happy Face.’ ” Read more
Kennedy family gathers to pay tribute to matriarch Ethel Kennedy (PBS)
Members of the Kennedy family gathered Monday for the funeral of Ethel Kennedy, the wife of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.
Ethel Kennedy, who raised their 11 children after her husband was assassinated and remained dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy, died on Thursday at age 96.
Monday’s funeral, which was closed to the public, took place at Our Lady of Victory, in Centerville, Massachusetts, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Boston. Read more
UNIFIL says Israeli tank fired at peacekeepers watchtower in Lebanon (AlJazeera)
UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon say Israeli forces have fired at one of their positions in the south in a “direct and apparently deliberate” attack that damaged a watchtower.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Wednesday its peacekeepers near southern Lebanon’s Kfar Kila observed an Israeli Merkava tank “firing at their watchtower”, adding that “two cameras were destroyed, and the tower was damaged”.
The incident is the latest in a series of Israeli attacks and violations against peacekeepers in Lebanon and comes as Israel expands its bombardment and ground attacks on the country, killing hundreds of people and displacing nearly a quarter of the population. Read more
Man and 3-year-old toddler rushed to hospital after ‘unprovoked attack’ – police release CCTV (Mirror)
Police have launched an urgent appeal after the ‘unprovoked’ attack in Notting Hill, west London left a man and his three-year-old toddler needing hospital treatment
Police have released an image of a man they want speak to after a man and a three-year-old toddler were injured in an ‘unprovoked attack’.
The unidentified male was walking in Notting Hill, west London on Saturday, 5 October when he was seen on CCTV suddenly pushing a man. The victim, who was walking with his three-year-old child, fell to the floor and hit his head on a wall, causing serious injuries including bleeding, a fractured eye socket and heavy bruising. The victim and his child have since been discharged from hospital but will require further treatment. Read more
WAFU U-20: Flying Eagles rounding off preparation in Lome (Punch)
The Nigeria U-20 men’s team, Flying Eagles, are putting finishing touches to their preparation for their participation in the 2024 WAFU Zone B U-20 Championship scheduled to commence on Thursday (today) in Lome, Togo.
Detailing the camp update following their arrival at the Togolese capital city on Tuesday, the team’s media officer, Sharif Abdallah, revealed that the team had its first training session on Wednesday morning at the Omnisport Mini Stadium in Lome, which lasted for 1 hour 30 minutes, with all 20 players participating, and will have a second exercise at the same venue on Thursday before taking on Burkina Faso for their opening game on Friday.
“No injury concerns as all the players have been declared fit by the medical team. The team will embark on one more training session on Thursday morning,” Abdallah said cheerfully during an interview with PUNCH Sports Extra correspondent on Wednesday. Read more
Abdalla hails Musa’s heroics in Kano Pillars’ confidence-boosting win at Rangers (CompleteSports)
Usman Abdalla, Kano Pillars’ Technical Adviser, was on cloud nine after Ahmed Musa inspired the Sai Masu Gida side to a stunning 4-3 victory over Rangers in a matchday seven fixture at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, on Wednesday, Completesports.com reports.
Musa played a crucial role in all four goals, scoring one and assisting the other three. It was Kano Pillars’ first-ever victory against the Coal City Flying Antelopes in Enugu, and also their first away win of the season.
A delighted Abdalla also said he wasn’t focused on being the first coach to lead Kano Pillars to a win over Rangers in Enugu. Instead, the former Enyimba and Katsina United manager expressed his satisfaction with securing three vital points, which he believes have stabilised the team. Read more
Juventus’ Paul Pogba refuses to rule out Premier League return after doping ban (SportsMole)
Paul Pogba has not closed the door on a potential return to the Premier League once he serves the remainder of his doping ban.
The French World Cup winner was initially banned for four years in February, putting his career under threat, as he would have been almost 35 by the time the suspension was over.
However, Pogba was given a reprieve when the ban was reduced to 18 months on appeal earlier this month, meaning he can return to training in January and to playing in March. Read more
Women’s Champions League: Wins for Arsenal and Manchester City (RTE)
Arsenal had a new face in the dugout but had to survive defensive jitters before overcoming Valerenga 4-1 in their Champions League group clash at the Emirates Stadium.
Jonas Eidevall’s resignation on Tuesday saw his assistant Renee Slegers placed in temporary charge and her stewardship opened with only the Gunners’ second win of the season.
Emily Fox and Caitlin Foord were on target in the first half and Arsenal would have galloped out of sight had it not been for the reflexes of Tove Enblom in the Norwegian visitors’ goal. Read more
Sabrina Ionesu’s game-winning three secures 2-1 WNBA Finals lead (DailyMail)
Sabrina Ionescu hit an all-important three-pointer at the top of the arc to secure an 80-77 win for the New York Liberty in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.
Target Center hosted a franchise-high 19,521 fans as the best-of-five series moved to Minnesota. They were not disappointed as the Lynx and Liberty went neck and neck in a tightly contested game.
Minutes after Breanna Stewart yelled ‘Were not f****** losing this game,’ in the middle of a second-half explosion against the Lynx, Ionescu gave the exclamation mark in Minnesota. The comeback win gave New York a 2-1 series lead.
Having not led since the game was 5-4 in the opening frame, the Liberty came back to life in the fourth quarter after trailing for most of the game. Read more
Sinner eliminates Medvedev at Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia (JapanToday)
Jannik Sinner beat Daniil Medvedev 6-0, 6-3 on Wednesday at the Six Kings Slam, an exhibition event for a half-dozen men that awards money but no ATP ranking points and is Saudi Arabia’s latest foray into tennis.
Riyadh will host the WTA Finals next month to open a three-year deal as the kingdom continues to invest in various sports, despite concerns about LGBTQ+ and women’s rights there raised by Hall of Famers Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova and others.Carlos Alcaraz was scheduled to play Holger Rune in Wednesday’s other match at the Six Kings Slam. Read more