LIRS urges taxpayers to voluntarily file 2021 returns (ThisDay)
The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) has enjoined all taxable persons, including self-employed, employees, professionals in Lagos State to file their individual annual tax returns for the 2021 Year of Assessment in accordance with the provisions of Section 41 of the Personal Income Tax Act LFN 2004 as amended.
A statement explained that individual tax returns are to be filed in accordance with the provisions of the tax law, section 41 (1) (3).
The legislations states that: “For each year of Assessment, a taxable person shall without notice or demand file a return of income in the prescribed form containing the required information with the tax authority of the State in which the taxable person is deemed to be a resident together with a true and correct statement in writing containing.
“A taxable person shall file with the relevant tax authority the returns as stipulated in this section within 90 days from the commencement of every year of Assessment (31st March).” Read more
12,720 vaccinated in Lagos in 48 hours (Nation)
Twelve thousand, seven hundred and twenty persons were vaccinated in Lagos State in 48 hours after the exercise kicked off. Of the number, 6,535 are male.
Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi gave the update for March 16 yesterday on his verified Twitter account @ProfAkinAbayomi.
Vaccination started on March 12 at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Yaba, with 88 other accredited centres in the 20 local government areas starting on March 15.
“I encourage Lagos residents to be readily available for vaccination, just as Mr. Governor @jidesanwoolu, frontline workers and I have been vaccinated. It is our personal and collective responsibility to be vaccinated to prevent the severity of third and fourth waves of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. Read more
Lagos commends CSRF on community development projects (ThisDay)
The Lagos State Government has commended Custodian Social Responsibility Foundation (CSRF), an arm of Custodian Investment Plc, for embarking on community development projects, including roads rehabilitation, around its base of operations in Yaba.
Governor Babatunde Sanwo-Olu, who gave the commendation recently at the official hand over of the completed project to the state government in Lagos, explained that the state government is deliberately focused on infrastructure development and innovation in its quest to achieve the transportation and traffic management pillar in its THEMES Agenda.
“Lagos State, like all other states in the country, also has infrastructure funding challenges. There is no gainsaying that the government alone cannot provide funds for the entire infrastructure needs of the state. Read more
Bandits kill 13, injure 7, raze 56 houses in Kaduna villages (Vanguard)
Thirteen people have been killed and seven others injured, in a series of attacks across communities in Zangon Kataf, Kauru and Chikun local government areas.
Samuel Aruwan, Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, said the report came to the Kaduna State Government. the Military under the auspices of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH).
According to the report, armed bandits attacked one Irmiya Godwin and his brother as they returned from their farm in Gora Gan village of Zangon Kataf LGA. Irmiya Godwin was killed, while his brother escaped.
In another incident, armed bandits attacked Kizachi village of Kauru LGA, and killed ten persons, leaving four others injured. Fifty-six houses and 16 motorcycles were razed, with several barns also raided and burnt. Read more
NCC embarks on anti-piracy campaign in Lagos (Guardian)
The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has embarked on an anti-piracy sensitisation campaign in Lagos.
Mr Matthew Ojo, the Director of Lagos Office of the commission, led a team from NCC to carry out the campaign on Friday.
The locations where the campaign will be taken to, include Iyana-ipaja, Oshodi, Ojo, Iyana-Iba and Mushin.
Ojo said that the campaign had become necessary to curtail flooding of pirated works across the city.
“The idea is to halt people from selling pirated works across the city. Read more
Deregistered parties won’t participate in Anambra guber poll- INEC (Nation)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has said that the 74 deregistered political parties will not participate in the Anambra State governorship election slated for November 6.
The Commission insisted that it will continue to recognize and deal with only the 18 registered political parties pending the final resolution and determination of the various appeals filed and pending before the Supreme Court.
It urged the deregistered political parties to await the judgement of the Supreme Court on appeals relating to the powers of the Commission to deregister political parties in accordance with section 225A of the Constitution.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, in a statement, weekend, said that the clarification became “necessary against the backdrop of various letters submitted to the Commission recently by some of the deregistered political parties signifying their intention to conduct primaries with a view to submitting names and particulars of candidates for the Anambra Governorship election.” Read more
NIDCOM gives update on Nigerian lady ‘wrongfully jailed’ in Cote d’Ivoire (Punch)
The Nigerians In Diaspora Commission has said it is working to prove the innocence of a Nigerian lady, Itunu Babalola, who is incarcerated in Cote d’Ivoire.
A statement signed by Gabriel Odu for the Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of NIDCOM, revealed that the Commission has been able to confirm that the lady was charged and incarcerated for a crime she didn’t commit.
The Commission said plans are underway to engage the services of a legal luminary to work on the case which has seen her spend two years out of the 10-year sentence she was handed. Read more
Judge who jailed Dariye, Nyame; 17 other judges promoted to Appeal Court (Nation)
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the elevation of 18 judges of High Courts across the country to the Court of Appeal.
The NJC took the decision at its 94th meeting held on March 17 to 18, 2021, where it also recommended the appointment of Chief Judges for the FCT, Rivers, Nasarawa, Kogi, Jigawa, Ebonyi and Delta states.
According to a statement by NJC’s Director of Information, Soji Oye, the council considered 24 petitions written against 29 judges, dismissed majority of them but issued strong warning to two judges serving in Lagos and set up a committee to further investigate complaints against a judge.
The NJC, which also recommended the appointment of a President for the Delta State Customary Court of Appeal, set up another panel to ascertain the health status of a. serving judge. Read more
Why Buhari removed me as CJN – Walter Onnoghen speaks (Guardian)
Former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen (SAN), Friday in Abuja, opened up for the first time on the reason President Muhammadu Buhari unceremoniously removed him from office in 2019.
Onnoghen spoke at the unveiling of a book titled ‘Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009, Practice, Procedure, Forms and Precedents’, authored by Chief Ogwu James Onoja (SAN).
He disclosed that prior to his removal, there had been rumour from the executive arm of government that he held a meeting with former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, preparatory to the 2019 general elections. Read more
New iPad Pro running Apple’s M1 chip tipped to launch in April (Metro)
Apple is widely believed to announce an update to its iPad Pro line-up in the coming weeks. The company’s most expensive tablet is rumoured to be getting an update to Apple’s own M1 computer processor. The in-house chip was recently debuted on a fresh set of MacBook laptops. In addition, the new iPad Pros would come with Thunderbolt ports as well as improved cameras and screens. Like the current iPad Pro options, the new models will arrive with a choice of either an 11-inch or 12.9-inch screen. Read more
Sharon Stone: I was pressured to ‘f–k’ co-star to fix screen chemistry (NYPost)
Screen goddess Sharon Stone is saying “#MeToo” — and coming out swinging against Hollywood predators in her explosive upcoming memoir.
The “Ratched” star details a number of unsavory sexual harassment situations she’s endured during her 40-year career in her new memoir, “The Beauty of Living Twice,” out March 30 from Knopf.
Although she heaps praise on some film execs and co-stars (especially her “Basic Instinct” leading man Michael Douglas), Stone said one unnamed producer pressured her to have real-life sex with a male co-star on an unnamed movie to help save the fizzling film.
The flamboyant, candy-wielding producer allegedly asked her point blank to bed her struggling leading man, the 63-year-old writes in the exclusive book excerpt in Vanity Fair. Read more
Samia Suluhu Hassan – Tanzania’s new president (BBC)
On Wednesday evening she had the task of announcing to Tanzanians that President John Magufuli had died and now Vice-President Samia Suluhu Hassan has taken his place as the country’s head of state.
First elected as Magufuli’s running mate in 2015, she was re-elected last year along with him and, according to the constitution, she should serve out the rest of the five-year term in the top job.
She becomes Africa’s only current female national leader – the Ethiopian presidency is a largely ceremonial role – and joins a short list of women on the continent to have run their countries.
The 61-year-old is affectionately known as Mama Samia – in Tanzanian culture that reflects the respect she is held in, rather than reducing her to a gendered role. Read more
Armie Hammer denies ‘outrageous’ allegation he ‘violently’ raped woman in 2017 (Metro)
Armie Hammer has denied the accusation that he raped a woman in Los Angeles in 2017. The actor’s lawyer issued a statement to Metro.co.uk calling the allegation ‘outrageous’ and sharing an alleged screenshot of messages between them. The 24-year-old woman, named only as Effie, said she first met the actor on Facebook in 2016 and they had an on-off relationship between 2016 and 2020. In a press conference alongside high-profile US lawyer Gloria Allred, she alleged she was ‘violently’ assaulted for four hours, with the Call Me By Your Name star repeatedly hitting her head against a wall. Read more
Chinese granny who fought off attacker in US praised for bravery (BBC)
A 76-year-old Chinese grandmother who fought off an attacker has been hailed for her courage by many in China.
Xie Xiaozhen was waiting to cross a street in downtown San Francisco when a man punched her, she said.
She instinctively responded by hitting him with a wooden stick, said local news reports.
There has been a rise in reports of attacks against Asian-Americans in recent months. Read more
Fans clamouring for Britney Spears tell-all interview with Oprah (PageSix)
Britney Spears fans are campaigning for Oprah Winfrey to sit down with the pop star for a tell-all interview about her conservatorship and life.
Following the iconic interviewer’s bombshell special with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Spears’ supporters believe Winfrey, 67, is the best person to dig deep with the “Toxic” singer.
“Can’t stop thinking about how much we need an Oprah interview with Britney,” one person tweeted. “It would absolutely change her life.”
Podcaster Kate Casey wrote, “Dear @Oprah – We need you to interview Britney now.” Read more
Pakistan to India: ‘Time to bury the past’ for regional peace (VOA)
Pakistan’s military chief Thursday advocated a “stable” relationship with archrival India, saying unsettled disputes between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors are “dragging the region back to the swamp of poverty and underdevelopment.”
Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa told a conference of experts and academics in Islamabad that their territorial dispute over Kashmir is “at the heart” of bilateral tensions and a lack of development in South Asia.
“However, we feel that it is time to bury the past and move forward,” Bajwa said. “But for resumption of peace process, or meaningful dialogue, our neighbor will have to create a conducive environment, particularly in Indian-occupied Kashmir.”
Bajwa said that without the resolution of Kashmir, regional “rapprochement” attempts will always remain vulnerable to derailment. Read more
Nnadozie thrilled to extend Paris FC contract (Nation)
Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie has said she is delighted to have extended her contract with French club Paris FC till June 2023.
“I was very happy when Paris FC offered me a new contract. It really is the perfect place to continue learning and developing,” Nnadozie said after she signed the new deal.
“It’s always an honour to wear the Paris FC jersey and defend it when the coach calls on me. Read more
Maiden female cricket league ends with super four in Benin City (ThisDay)
The first female cricket league in the country, the South-south Female League is to be rounded up this weekend with the super four playoff to crown the winner of the inaugural edition in Benin-City, Edo State.
Chairman of the Edo State Cricket Association and member representing the South-south Zone on the board of Nigeria Cricket Federation, Mr Uyi Akpata yesterday described it as a milestone for the sport in the country.
“This event is a landmark one for us and the country. In fact, it is the first of its kind in West and North Africa. Cricket development should not leave out any gender and since we saw the response from the girls during our grassroots project, we just felt it was ripe for a separate platform to be created for them,” he stressed with satisfaction yesterday ahead of the Super Four Playoff. Read more
Senegalese FA protests French travel ban for players (Punch)
Senegal’s football federation has called on its French-based players to be released for upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, calling the league’s ban on internationals travelling outside the European Union “discriminatory”.
The French football league (LFP) announced this week that its clubs will bar non-European players for playing for their country later this month to avoid possible quarantine on their return.
In a letter sent Thursday to the French Football Federation (FFF), the Senegalese FA said the West African state’s national squad could be deprived of 12 players currently at French clubs.
Senegal are due to face the Republic of Congo in Brazzaville on March 26, and Eswatini in the Senegalese city of Thies on March 30. Read more
Champions League draw: Chelsea face Porto & Liverpool to meet Real Madrid (Metro)
Manchester City’s quest for a maiden Champions League title will continue with a quarter-final meeting with Borussia Dortmund. The premier European club competition is the big prize missing from Pep Guardiola’s reign at City, having never got past the semi-finals, and they have been handed another German assignment after beating Borussia Monchengladbach in the last 16. But a tough route to the Istanbul final lies in wait as if they can get past Dortmund, with the first leg at the Etihad Stadium, as either Bayern Munich or Paris St Germain will be waiting in the last four. The reigning champions will face Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG in a repeat of last season’s final. Read more
Tom Izzo gets into heated exchange with player during March Madness loss (NYPost)
Whatever point Michigan State coach Tom Izzo wanted to get across to Gabe Brown, he certainly made it — and then some.
The TBS broadcast’s camera caught Izzo getting into heated exchange with his junior forward heading into the tunnel at halftime of the Spartans’ “First Four” 86-80 overtime loss to UCLA late Thursday night.
The coach can be seen in Brown’s ear with his arm around this waist, causing an upset Brown to try to pull away and Izzo getting a hand of his jersey. Izzo then ran after Brown toward the back of the tunnel to say a little more. The player heard him coming, turned around appears to saying something angrily back at his coach with Michigan State up, 44-33, at the break. Read more
Europa League quarter-final draw: Manchester United to play Granada, Arsenal face Slavia Prague (BBC)
Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny and Manchester United’s Paul Pogba were on target in the last 16
Manchester United have been drawn against Granada in the Europa League quarter-finals, while Arsenal will face Slavia Prague.
Ajax have been drawn against Roma, while Dinamo Zagreb play Villarreal.
In the semi-finals, the winner of the Granada v Manchester United tie will play Ajax or Roma and Dinamo Zagreb or Villarreal will play Arsenal or Slavia Prague.
The two-legged quarter-final ties will be played on 8 and 15 April. Read more
Oregon’s Sedona Prince calls out NCAA for sexism due to weight room disparity (NYPost)
Oregon forward Sedona Prince posted a video showing the disparities between the weight rooms at the men’s and women’s tournament on Thursday and said there was enough space for the NCAA to add more equipment.
Prince, a redshirt sophomore whose Ducks are set to take on South Dakota in San Antonio next week, was among those ripping the NCAA for the weight rooms.“I got something to show y’all. So, for the NCAA March Madness, the biggest tournament in college basketball for women … This is our weight room,” she said while pointing toward one stack of free weights. Read more