LAWMA highway sweepers dump uniforms, protest unpaid salaries (Guardian)
The Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) highway sweepers have embarked on strike over non-payment of their three-month salaries.
The sweepers also took to social media to protest the non-payment on Tuesday afternoon.
A Twitter user, identified as Postsubman, noted that the sweepers, who worked all through the lockdown period, are yet to receive payment for the work done. He alleged that the Lagos State government decided to sack them despite non-payment of their salaries. Read more
Lagos East youths mourn Osinowo (Nation)
Youths in Lagos East Senatorial District, under the aegis of Lagos East Youth Emancipation (LEYE), on Tuesday condoled with the family and residents of the senatorial district on the death of their senator, Sikiru Adebayo Osinowo.
The group described Osinowo’s death as “a big blow to his political associates, friends and the people of Lagos State”.
A statement by the group’s Convener Fagbodun Oluwadamilare, Secretary-General Ademola Adefolaju and Public Relations Officer (PRO) Kolawole Salami said LEYE was backing a former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, as Osinowo’s “best replacement in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly”. Read more
Trapped road users seek ‘executive order’ on Oshodi-Apapa highway logjam (Guardian)
For the second day running, it has been Armageddon on the Apapa-Oshodi expressway between Iyana Isolo and Toyota Bus Stop.
It is ‘easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle’ than for a motorist to wade through the one-lane access route at Toyota bus stop en-route Oshodi, where six or more lanes forcibly merge into the service lane, causing traffic gridlocks.
While the suffering continues, it is taking exasperated road users persistence, sheer grit and ruggedness to survive hours in traffic for a journey that shouldn’t take five minutes to pass through. Read more
Protesters storm EFCC office, demand Obasa’s probe (Punch)
Members of the Civil Society Network Against Corruption on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest at the Lagos office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and submitted a petition against the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa.
The placards-carrying protesters, who were received by the head of the anti-graft agency in Lagos, Mohammed Rabo, said they wanted the EFCC to investigate allegations of financial impropriety against Obasa.
Speaking before presenting the petition to Rabo, the Coordination of CISNAC, Shina Odugbemi, said, “Our mission here this morning is to present you a letter about an issue in the city, Lagos State. Read more
Tension as police seal, reopen APC secretariat (Guardian)
Armed policemen, yesterday sealed the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the orders of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, indicating that the leadership crisis in the party is yet to abate.
It was gathered that the action of the security agents was aimed at averting the escalation of the conflict among members of the National Working Committee (NEC) of the APC.
Both Senator Abiola Ajimobi and Mr. Victor Giadom who occupy the positions of the deputy national chairman (South) and the deputy secretary of the party are laying claim to the seat of the acting national chairman. Read more
Police rescue ‘126’ labourers at Kano rice factory (DailyTrust)
Police operatives in Kano on Monday rescued hundreds of labourers allegedly forced to remain within the premises of a rice mill where they had been working for close to three months. Kano Police Commissioner, Habu Sani Ahmadu, told the Daily Trust last night that contrary to reports that between 300 and 600 labourers were rescued from ‘Popular Farm,’ producers of one of the popular rice in the market, the actual number was 126. ADVERTISEMENT Dear our valued reader, we would like to hear your view about a membership club that we plan to launch. Read more
Uzodinma to pay Imo pensioners Friday (Vanguard)
The Imo state pensioners yesterday protested unpaid four months pension arrears, even as the state governor, Hope Uzodinma, has vowed to pay them by Friday this week.
The pensioners led by the Chairman pension intervention committee, Iyke Ohaneje, who arrived at the Government House, said that they were not happy over the delay in the payment of their pension and that it was the reason for which they came out to complain to the government.
Addressing the pensioners, the Imo state Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Cosmos Iwu, said: “I commend the pensioners for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner and I have given them the assurance that they will be paid their pension by Friday, and that the reason for the delay is that the government is still sorting out the names of retired pensioners because some people who are still in civil service also receive pension. So, we are cleaning up the payroll system.” Read more
Akufo-Ado apologises to Nigeria over demolition (Nation)
Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Ado has apologised to Nigeria over the demolition of the Nigerian High Commission building in Accra, the country’s capital, last weekend.
Akufo-Ado, who apologised to Nigeria yesterday during a telephone chat with President Muhammadu Buhari, also said he had ordered an investigation into the incident.
A businessman, reportedly accompanied by armed policemen, stormed the Nigerian High Commission last weekend with bulldozers and destroyed structures under construction within the premises. Read more
Singapore heads for snap elections despite coronavirus pandemic (AlJazeera)
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has dissolved parliament for snap elections on July 10, months before they are due and even as the city-state battles the coronavirus pandemic.
The dissolution of parliament late on Tuesday came just four days after the city-state lifted most coronavirus restrictions, and appeared to be an attempt to take advantage of a quiet window before a possible worsening of the pandemic’s impact.
On Wednesday morning, the prime minister’s estranged brother, Lee Hsien Yang, announced that he would join an opposition party to contest the elections, but had not yet decided if he would stand as a candidate. Read more
Top US health official Fauci warns of ‘disturbing’ new US surge (BBC)
America’s top infectious disease expert has told lawmakers that the US is seeing a “disturbing surge” in coronavirus infections in some states.
A panel of health officials, including Dr Anthony Fauci, said the next few days will be crucial to stem the new outbreaks.
Cases are climbing rapidly across a number of US states.
The four top experts also testified they were never told by President Donald Trump to “slow down” testing. Read more
Massive explosions after ‘Israeli jets’ strike army bases in central Syria (RT)
Several military bases in central and southern Syria have been targeted by air attacks that Damascus blamed on Israel, Syrian state media have reported. Videos on social media show massive explosions illuminating the night.
Israel targeted several locations in Salamiyah and Saburah just before 1 am on Wednesday, the Syrian army said, adding that its air defenses shot down “a large number” of hostile missiles but that some struck their targets and inflicted “limited material damage.”
Judging by the volume of explosions, one of the targets appears to be an ammunition depot. Read more
N Korea’s Kim suspends plans for military action against South (AlJazeera)
North Korea has announced it will suspend “military action plans” against South Korea, after a meeting of the governing party’s Central Military Commission presided over by leader Kim Jong Un, the official KCNA news agency said on Wednesday.
The video conference meeting on Tuesday also discussed documents outlining measures for “further bolstering the war deterrent of the country”, KCNA reported.
The committee members “took stock of the prevailing situation” before deciding to suspend the plans, the report said, without elaborating. Read more
Young actor’s death reveals Bollywood’s mental health crisis (AlJazeera)
The recent death by suicide of popular Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput has brought to the forefront the pressures faced by those who work in Mumbai’s film industry.
The 34-year-old was found dead in his home on June 14.
From celebrities to the professionals behind the scenes, the incident has drawn attention to the fragility that lies beneath the glamorous veneer of the industry. In particular, it has brought focus on the topic of mental health – an area that is often stigmatised or misunderstood in India. Read more
Serena Williams’ dad sued over rights to his life story (TMZ)
The father of tennis’ most famous female players is being sued by folks who claim they bought the rights to his life story before Will Smith produced his own movie with himself as Richard.
Richard Williams, the father and coach of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams, is being sued, along with Warner Bros. Entertainment and Will’s production company Overbrook Entertainment, by the competition, TW3 Entertainment and Power Move Multi-Media. TW3 and Power Move claim they locked up the rights to Richard’s tale before WB and Will moved forward with a movie about him instead. Read more
Zimbabwe’s Cook Off: How a Netflix romcom was made for $8,000 (BBC)
Zimbabwe’s first film to feature on streaming service Netflix is a romantic comedy about a struggling single mother who finds love and good fortune in a TV cooking show contest.
It is a tale of hope that mirrors the production of Cook Off, made in 2017 on a budget of $8,000 (£6,400), amid power cuts and cash shortages.
This month’s Netflix launch comes as the nation continues to contend with spiralling inflation, sharp political differences – and now a coronavirus lockdown that is making life even more difficult for Zimbabweans. Read more
No decision has been taken on 2019/2020 season, says NFF (Guardian)
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has declared that it has not settled on the system to be used in deciding the 2019/2020, saying it was still consulting widely to arrive at the best possible option.
There were reports on Monday that the Point Per Game (PPG) system has been chosen by the League Management Company (LMC) and the Club Owners Association to decide placements on the league table. However, the NFF yesterday called on the stakeholders to be patient, saying it was working on ways to resolve the issues the best possible way. Read more
Spurs win to leave West Ham in trouble (BBC)
Tottenham picked up their first victory in eight games to leave West Ham with a battle to stay in the Premier League.
Czech midfielder Tomas Soucek inadvertently converted into his own net following Giovani lo Celso’s corner and Harry Kane broke clear to stroke in his 18th goal of the season.
With seven games remaining, the loss leaves the Hammers outside the relegation zone but only on goal difference with Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Norwich – who lie in the bottom three – all now having a game in hand over David Moyes’ side. Read more
UFC champ Alex Volkanovski pens children’s book to show fighters aren’t ‘thugs’ (RT)
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is keen to dispel the stereotype of the braindead, brutish fighter as he inks a children’s book designed at showing off the softer side of the world’s toughest athletes.
Volkanovski, who will defend his 145lb title against former champion Max Holloway at UFC 251 on July 11, is putting the finishing touches on the illustrated children’s book which the Aussie hopes will hit the shelves before his showdown on ‘Fight Island’.
“It’s going to be about myself, which is pretty cool,” Volkanovski said of the book to 7 News Australia. “The direction of the book is about being a world champion and everything about it.” Read more
Izilien urges NFF to stop ‘wasting money’ on foreign coaches (Guardian)
Former Super Falcons Coach, Godwin Izilien, has urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to halt search for a foreign coach for the senior women national team.
He believes that hiring an indigenous coach for the Falcons would reduce the financial burden on the federation, especially now that COVID-19 has affected the economy negatively.
Izilien wondered why the NFF would be going for a foreign coach when Nigerian coaches had been successful with the team in different competitions over the years. Read more
Uganda players wait on government response in bonus row (BBC)
Uganda national team captain Dennis Onyango has told BBC Sport Africa he has had no response from the Ugandan government after several senior players took to social media to remind President Yoweri Museveni to fulfil a $1million pledge he made to the team after the 2019 African Cup of Nations in Egypt.
The push for Museveni to respond began on Sunday with a tweet from Turkish side Konyaspor midfielder Farouk Miya, in which he tagged a video clip of the president making the pledge at a state dinner organised in honour of the team for good performance at the Afcon. Read more
King Arthur: Juventus ‘agree €80m fee with Barcelona for Brazilian midfield star’ (RT)
Juventus appear close to completing another high-profile capture from La Liga after the club announced that they are near to completing a €80 million deal to bring Brazilian international Arthur to Turin from Barcelona.
Juventus announced on Tuesday that they have agreed terms with Barcelona to sign the 23-year-old midfielder, despite the player stating last month that he wasn’t keen on a move away from Catalonia. Read more