Minister of Works Umahi locks out workers over lateness (Guardian)
Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Thursday, locked out staff of his ministry for resuming late to work.
It was gathered that the workers staged a protest following Umahi’s decision to lock them outside.
According to the protesting staff, who were chanting “Umahi Must Go”, they argued that that they reside far away and there was no way they come come to the office early. Read more
Tension as protesters lock works minister Umahi in his office (Nation)
Protesting workers at the Ministry of Works confined the minister of works, Dave Umahi, in his office on Thursday, September 28.
The staff accused Umahi of being tyrannical, claiming that the minister barred staff who were late for work from entering the ministry.
The union members in the Housing and Works Ministry decided to lock up the ministry.
The workers also prevented entry and exit into the building thereby preventing the minister from leaving the office. Read more
US calls for free and fair governorship election in Bayelsa (Guardian)
The United States (US) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a free, fair and transparent governorship election in Bayelsa state on November 11, 2023.
The US Consulate-General in Nigeria made this call during the recent visit of Chief Mike Ervin from its Political Economic Section to Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa as they monitor activities in the state ahead of the governorship poll.
Ervin further emphasised the need for a transparent gubernatorial election in Bayelsa and said that he expects the process to be peaceful and credible. Read more
‘‘No limits’’, says Adewumi, 24-yr-old LASU medicine graduate; wins Cambridge scholarship (Vanguard)
A graduate of Lagos State University College of Medicine, Dr Akingbola Adewumi, has been honoured with King’s College Quantedge and Rowan Williams Scholarship to pursue a Master of Philosophy in Population Health Sciences at the University of Cambridge, the United Kingdom.
Adewumi, regarded as a distinguished catalyst for social impact among his peers while speaking with Vanguard on Wednesday, said Nigerian students cannot be limited in pursuing their dreams if they are determined to succeed.
“My encouragement to Nigerian students is that they should know there are actually no limits to what they can achieve. Once you are determined to achieve something, just make sure you have plans, and make sure your plans are detailed and realistic. To bring the plans to reality will not be a problem,” Adewumi said. Read more
LASU concludes pre-mobilisation sensitisation programme for final year students (Independent)
The Students’ Affairs Division of the Lagos State University (LASU) rounded off the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Pre-mobilisation Sensitisation Programme for its final year students on the Ojo Main Campus of the University on Tuesday, September 26, 2023.
The well attended programme was held at the Buba Marwa Auditorium, Main Campus, Ojo, Lagos.
The Dean, Students’ Affairs Division, Prof. Tajudeen A. Olumoko, in his address, welcomed all to the event and stated that it was organized to educate students about the important areas of the NYSC programme, so as to enable them have a seamless experience during their NYSC registration and mobilization processes. Read more
FG declares Monday public holiday to mark independence anniversary (Channels)
The Federal Government has declared October 2nd a public holiday to celebrate Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Day.
The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo made this in a statement signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Oluwatoyin Akinlade in Abuja.
Dr Olubunmi acknowledged the global socio-economic hardship noting that Nigeria is not excluded. He, however, reasserted the government’s commitment to tackling the issues facing the country to reassure Nigerians. Read more
CSOs kick against NLC planned strike (Tribune)
A Civil Society Organisation under the aegis of Civil Society and Workers Dialogue Forum (CSWDF) has kicked against the planned strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) scheduled to commence on Tuesday, 3rd October, 2023.
The CSOs described the action as ‘sabotage’ and ‘mischievous’ saying that the union was not sensitive to its own part of a dialogue with the Federal Government over the fuel subsidy removal impasse.
The group stated this in a statement issued on Thursday by Abubakar Ibrahim, Bashir Faisal and Comrade Rafiu Shaibu, convener and co-convener respectively. Read more
Supreme Court dismisses Achimugu’s case against Kogi APC gov candidate (Punch)
The Supreme Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the appeal by a governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in Kogi State, Abubakar Achimugu, seeking to nullify the primary election of the party which produced Usman Ododo as its governorship candidate for the election slated for November 11.
The appeal was dismissed by a panel of Supreme Court justices led by Justice Inyang Okoro.
Achimugu had approached the Federal High Court with a suit seeking to disqualify Ododo on the ground that he did not resign his employment with the Kogi State public service 30 days before contesting the governorship primary election. Read more
Kylie Minogue reflects on ageism in the music industry (NME)
Kylie Minogue has spoken about ageism in the music industry after Madonna commented on the criticism she faced after this year’s Grammys.
In February, the Queen of Pop introduced Sam Smith and Kim Petras‘ performance of their Grammy Award-winning duet ‘Unholy’ at the Grammy ceremony, praising the duo for rising “above the noise, the doubt [and] the critics”. After her appearance, Madonna’s looks were described as “unrecognisable”, with viewers slating her plastic surgery.
The ‘‘Frozen’’ singer hit back in an Instagram post, writing that she is “once again caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny [that] permeates the world we live in. Read more
Angelina Jolie reveals why she stepped away from film (EW)
Angelina Jolie has opened up about a difficult transition in her life, and revealed that a period of introspection prompted her to take a step away from starring in major movies the past 10 years.
In an interview tied to the launch of Atelier Jolie, her new socially and environmentally conscious fashion endeavor, the 48-year-old Oscar winner and humanitarian told Vogue that she has largely attempted to communicate her complicated feelings through clothing — including while she navigated a particularly difficult time in her recent life. Read more
Sudanese man arrested after migrant’s body found (AfricaNews)
British officers have arrested a man as part of an investigation into the death of a woman who is believed to have perished while attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat, the UK’s National Crime Agency said on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old Sudanese man was arrested for illegal entry and facilitating illegal immigration in the southern English port city of Dover. The man, who is in police custody, is suspected of piloting a boat that reached British waters on Tuesday.
The arrest came after authorities in Calais, northern France, discovered the body of a woman on a local beach on Tuesday. Read more
Activists from Kenya, Cambodia are among ‘Alternative Nobel’ prize winners (AlJazeera)
Sweden’s Right Livelihood Award, known as the “Alternative Nobel”, has been awarded to environment activists from Kenya and Cambodia, a human right defender from Ghana and a humanitarian group that rescues refugees in the Mediterranean Sea.
The 2023 laureates “stand up to save lives, preserve nature and safeguard the dignity and livelihoods of communities around the world”, the awards foundation said on Thursday, adding that they “fight for people’s right to health, safety, a clean environment and democracy”.
This year’s prizes went to Phyllis Omido from Kenya and the groups Mother Nature Cambodia and SOS Mediterranee. Read more
Kevin Bacon says he “rejected” his Footloose fame in order to be a “serious actor” (THR)
Kevin Bacon is opening up about Footloose, the movie that launched his career, and how he struggled with fame following the film’s success.
During a recent episode of Podcrushed, the actor told hosts Penn Badgley, Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari that he saw himself as more of a serious actor and didn’t want to only be known for his dancing role as Ren McCormack in the 1984 film.
“When I became a pop star, the last thing I wanted to be was a pop star,” he said. “I had already moved into, you know, ‘I want to be Dustin Hoffman or Meryl [Streep] or John Cazale or [Robert] De Niro. I want to work with [Martin] Scorsese. I want to do Chekhov.’ You know what I mean?” Read more
New initiative aims to connect US to Africa (VOA)
The White House says a new advisory council composed of prominent Americans of African heritage aims at “enhancing dialogue between U.S. officials and the African diaspora” — a key focus of President Joe Biden’s partnership-focused revamped Africa strategy.
The initiative coincides with a steady, two-decade rise in immigration from the continent that will have a significant demographic impact in coming decades.
The 12 members of the volunteer council — called the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States — were chosen from more than 100 “exceptional” applications and recommendations, said Johnnie Carson, a longtime Africa diplomat who serves as Biden’s special representative to oversee the implementation of the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. Read more
Actor Michael Gambon, who played Harry Potter’s Dumbledore, dies at 82 (CBS)
British-Irish actor Michael Gambon, who played the wizard Albus Dumbledore in the six later Harry Potter movies, has died at the age of 82, his agency confirmed to CBS News on Thursday.
In a statement issued on behalf of his wife Lady Anne Gambon and his son Fergus, publicist Clair Dobbs said the family was “devastated to announce the loss,” and added that the “beloved husband and father” had died peacefully in a hospital with his wife and son by his side following a bout of pneumonia.
Gambon was awarded four U.K. television BAFTAs during his decades-long acting career, which saw him take starring roles across television, movies, radio and on the stage. Read more
Napoli didn’t intend to hurt Osimhen – Coach Garcia (Vanguard)
Napoli manager, Rudi Garcia has said that the club didn’t intend to hurt Victor Osimhen with the controversial TikTok video.
Napoli manager, Rudi Garcia has said that the club didn’t intend to hurt Victor Osimhen with the controversial TikTok video.
Recall the Partonopei shared a video on their TikTok account which appeared to be mocking Osimhen after he missed a penalty in the club’s goalless draw against Bologna last weekend.
The 24-year-old threatened to take legal action against the club and has also taken down all images of him in the Partenopei jersey on his Instagram account. Read more
“Kobe Bryant clone” hailed as missing piece for Jordan at Asian Games (Punch)
Former Brooklyn Nets starter Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was hailed as the “missing piece” for Jordan at the Asian Games on Thursday, with the “Kobe Bryant clone” hitting a game-high 17 points against Bahrain.
The American was naturalised in time to play for his adopted homeland at the World Cup last month, where his 39-point barrage against New Zealand sparked chants of “Kobe, Kobe, Kobe” from the crowd in Manila.
US media dubbed him a “Kobe Bryant clone”, not only for his playing style but also because he wore the same number 24 shirt that the late Bryant sported for the Los Angeles Lakers. Read more
Newcastle 1-0 Man City: Alexander Isak strikes to seal early Carabao Cup exit for Treble winners (Standard)
Alexander Isak fired Newcastle into the Carabao Cup fourth round at the expense of Manchester City.
The Sweden international struck eight minutes after the break to seal a 1-0 victory for the Magpies – their first over City in any competition in 11 attempts – in front of a crowd of 51,692 at St James Park.
Their place in the draw was rewarded for a dogged display by a team featuring 10 changes to the one which started Sunday’s 8-0 Premier League victory Sheffield United, but one which was particularly hard-earned after they were given the run-around before the break by Pep Guardiola’s under-studies. Read more
Chelsea boss Pochettino uses crossbar challenge to boost Mudryk’s morale (France24)
Mauricio Pochettino says he has been playing a crossbar challenge with Mykhailo Mudryk in an effort to boost the Chelsea winger’s confidence — but the Blues boss admits he nearly always wins.
Mudryk has failed to score in 22 appearances since joining Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in a deal worth up to £89 million ($108 million) in January.
Determined to raise Mudryk’s morale, Pochettino has challenged the Ukrainian to show his technical ability by hitting the crossbar from long-range at the club’s Cobham training ground. Read more
Damian Lillard heading to Milwaukee Bucks in three-team, NBA blockbuster trade (TorontoStar)
The protracted Damian Lillard trade process wound up in a most unexpected way Wednesday with the gifted point guard on the move to Milwaukee to team up with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
In a three-team deal few NBA insiders saw coming, the Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns pulled off a stunning transaction.
The Blazers get Jrue Holiday, a 2029 first-round pick and potential pick swaps in 2028 and 2030 from the Bucks and Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara from Phoenix. Read more
Castle claims AIG Women’s Junior Cup victory (IrishIndependent)
Castle defeated 2016 champions Castletroy to win AIG Women’s Junior Cup All-Ireland title at Westport.
Wins for Ellen Smyth, Zoe Dunne and Katie Dunne helped the Dublin club beat Castlebar 4-1 in the semi-finals as Castletroy defeated Dundalk 4-1 thanks to wins for Aoife O’Neill, Eavan Martin and Mary Crowley.
In the final, Katie Dunne put the first point on the board for the Castle team with a 5&3 victory over Crowley. Read more