LASG provides palliatives to address perennial logjam (Nation)
‘Zero Hunger Initiative will help to achieve food security by 2030’ (Nation)
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday restated commitment of the Zero Hunger Strategic Initiative to end hunger and achieve food security by year 2030. The former president made this known on Thursday at the Nigeria Zero Hunger Strategic Forum Meeting in Sokoto State. Obasanjo said that initiative, which would spread across the 36 states and Abuja, would work to improve food security through the promotion of sustainable agriculture. Read more
Buhari, Atiku, others get date for presidential debate (Guardian)
Nigerian Election Debate Group (NEDG) and Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) have announced the dates for 2019 presidential and vice-presidential election debate.The vice-presidential candidate debate is scheduled for Friday, December 14, 2018, while the presidential debate will take place on Saturday, January 19, 2019. Chairman of BON, John Momoh (OON), made the announcement on Thursday at a press conference in Abuja. Read more
NNPC seeks new funding options for operators (Nation)
The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says it is devising new ways to attract more funding for operators in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry to launch them into a new phase of exploration. The operators have been grappling with funding challenges which has cut down investment in oil exploration. Dr Maikanti Baru, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, said the corporation believed that attracting fresh funds to the industry would enable the country to achieve its target of raising reserves to 40 billion barrels in 2020. Read more
Fears, uncertainty trail Ogoni clean-up as stakeholders raise fresh concerns (Independent)
Ahead of commencement of the remediation programme in the Niger Delta region, fresh worries are already being raised by stakeholders which the Hydrocarbon Pollution and Restoration Project (HYREP) may not have taken into consideration. Part of such fears being raised by the stakeholders drawn from a coalition of civil society organisations and environmental experts are those the source of drinking water which is usually from wells are contaminated by benzene, a known carcinogen at levels over 900 times higher than the World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline. Read more
Ayade’s aide collapses, rushed to Abuja Hospital (Guardian)
There is currently pandemonium among friends of Benedicta Akpana, an aide to Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River state who this afternoon collapsed in Abuja and was rushed to a private hospital in the FCT. Akpana, an executive protocol officer to Ayade was said to have collapsed at her apartment at about 2.15pm and was rushed semi-unconscious to a private hospital in Zone 3 area of Abuja by her friend. Read more
Ekiti orders arrest of Herdsmen carrying weapons (Nation)
The Ekiti State government has ordered the arrest and prosecution of any herdsman caught with guns and other dangerous weapons, promising to visit the full weight of the law on suspects. The Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, disclosed this on Thursday at a peace meeting held with representatives of herders and farmers at the Government House in Ado-Ekiti in the wake of alleged attacks on farmers in some communities by suspected herdsmen. Read more
WAEC releases 2018 WASSCE private candidates results (Guardian)
The result of the 2018 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates, second series has been released. The Head of the Nigeria National Office of the WAEC, Mr. Olu Adenipekun, who announced this yesterday at a press briefing in Transcorp Hotels, Calabar, said 112,567 candidates registered in Nigeria out of which 109,902 candidates sat for the examination.He stated that out of the 109,902, “107,749 candidates… Read more
Brexit deal within our grasp, says May (BBC)
Theresa May has hailed the draft agreement on post-Brexit relations as “right for the whole of the UK” and insisted a deal “is within our grasp”. The political declaration – outlining how UK-EU trade, security and other issues will work – has been “agreed in principle”, the European Council says. London and Brussels have already agreed the draft terms of the UK’s exit from the EU on 29 March 2019. Read more
Boris Johnson paid more than £90,000 for two-hour speech by US asset management firm (Independent)
Boris Johnson has been paid more than £90,000 by a US asset management firm for two hours worth of work on a speech – dwarfing his annual salary as an MP. The lucrative payment, which is listed in parliament’s register of members’ financial interests, comes after it was disclosed three armoured water cannons Mr Johnson purchased while London mayor had been sold at a loss of more than £300,000. Read more
Low-cost ‘four-hour’ bamboo house wins top prize (BBC)
A 23-year-old designer has won a top £50,000 ($64,385) prize after creating a low-cost bamboo housing unit to address the Philippines’ slum crisis. Earl Patrick Forlales’ design takes just four hours to construct, and at £50 per sq metre it’s also affordable. He told the BBC World Service: “It’s a functional home on its own, but it’s more than just a house. “It’s designed to turn community waste into energy and other valuable resources.” Read more
NFF orders Eagles to begin preparations for Cameroun 2019 AFCON immediately (Guardian)
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has directed the Super Eagles to commence preparations for the Cameroun 2019 African Nations Cup immediately. This, it said, should start with the technical crew submitting its programme for the competition. Rising from its executive committee meeting in Asaba on Tuesday, the NFF said the only way Nigeria could actualise its dream of winning next year’s African Nations Cup was by ensuring that the team was well prepared. Read more
Soweto rivals battle for TKO final berth (SuperSport)
Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates will battle for a place in the final of the Telkom Knockout when they meet at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, 24 November 2018, kick-off at 15h00. Chiefs earned their place in the final four by overcoming Black Leopards on penalties (following a 1-1 draw) in the last 16 and defeating SuperSport United 1-0 in the quarterfinals – thanks to an amazing strike from defender Ramahlwe Mphahlele. Read more
Liverpool have more to offer, says Klopp (SuperSport)
Liverpool have made their joint-best start to a Premier League campaign since it was launched in 1992, but manager Jurgen Klopp sees no reason why they cannot improve further heading into the packed English festive fixture schedule. The unbeaten Merseyside club are second after 12 matches on 30 points, two behind defending champions Manchester City. Read more
They said I was too old so I made Premier League look old – Ibrahimovic (Vanguard)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed he was told by “everyone” not to risk his reputation by playing in England but how a successful spell at Manchester United made him feel young again — “like Benjamin Button”. The 37-year-old Swedish forward made a high-profile switch to Old Trafford in July 2016 after leaving Paris Saint-Germain, initially on a one-season contract. Read more
PL has made me stronger, says Guardiola (SuperSport)
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes the competitive nature and sheer unpredictability of the Premier League has presented him with the biggest challenge of his career. Prior to his move to Manchester, Guardiola collected three La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies with Barcelona, before leading Bayern Munich to three consecutive Bundesliga crowns in competitions dominated by very few teams. Read more
‘Mama, I’m shot’: Girl who wrote essay about gun violence is killed by stray bullet in Milwaukee (CNN)
Sandra Parks wrote an award-winning essay about the constant shootings in her hometown of Milwaukee and elsewhere, and the emotional toll they have on young people like her. “Little children are victims of senseless gun violence,” she wrote. ” … I sit back and I have to escape from what I see and hear every day. When I do; I come to the same conclusion … we are in a state of chaos.” Read more
Satanists settle lawsuit with Netflix over goat-headed statue (CNN)
A group of Satanists that sued Netflix for $50 million for allegedly copying the image of its goat-headed deity has “amicably settled” its lawsuit with the video streaming giant. The Satanic Temple organization claimed Netflix and Warner Bros. had copied the image of Baphomet — a winged, half-man, half-goat figure that has been worshiped by various occult groups — in its program “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” Read more
Fake car dealer docked for defrauding customer of N1. 5m (Vanguard)
A 34-year-old fake car dealer, Oke Oladipupo, who allegedly defrauded swindled a man of N1. 5 million, on Thursday appeared in an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos. The accused, who lives in Block 12, Flat 6, County Estate, Iju Road in Lagos, is charged with two counts of fraud and stealing. The prosecution alleged that the accused fraudulently collected N1. 5 million from one Ologba Patrick with a promise to get him a Honda Accord 2004 model and one accidental Toyota Corolla 2003 model. Read more