December 30, 2018
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Sunday approved the appointment of Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola as the state’s 21st Head of Service.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Habib Aruna, said Muri-Okunola’s appointment followed the retirement of Mrs. Folasade Adesoye on December 27.
According to Aruna in a statement, Muri-Okunola was the former Executive Secretary, Land Use and Allocation Committee, between 2005 and 2011. Read more
Why I rejected Jonathan’s $5m offer in 2015 – Hamzat (Independent)
The All Progressives Congress Deputy Governorship candidate in Lagos State, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has disclosed that he rejected $5million alleged bribe from former President Goodluck Jonathan during the electioneering campaign in 2015.
He made the disclosure at the launch of Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat Advocates held on Friday at Fidimaye Hall, Oko-Oba, Abule-Egba, Lagos.
The event had over 1000 APC members and party chieftains who came him in from around Alimosho, Agege, Agbado-Ijaye, and its environs. Read more
2018: The good, the bad and the ugly (ThisDay)
Dream, excitement, ambition, fulfillment and the final word, death, are some of the words that have described the year 2018 as it enters its last day on December 31, tomorrow. As life’s a stage, Funke Olaode, in this piece, reflects on the personalities – dead or alive – who have shaped 2018 as the year draws to an end. The list is by no means exhaustive, however, it parades the good, the bad and the ugly of 2018
Prince Harry and Megan Markle’s Marriage: They shook the entire world with their romance as doubting Thomases were placing bets on the relationship as one of those flings. One is a royalty and the other, a divorcee -an American with an African-American heritage. Indeed, it was a relationship that broke royal protocol of 350 years.
Against all odds, Prince Harry’s relationship with Meghan Markle, an American actress best known for her role in the Canadian-American legal-drama television series, Suits, was officially acknowledged on November 8, 2016, when a statement was released from the royal family’s communications secretary addressing the “wave of abuse and harassment” directed toward Markle. Read more
Introduction to special edition, Nigeria in 2019 (DailyTrust)
The year 2018 will come to an end tomorrow and, for Daily Trust’s editors, reporters and contributors who spent all of this year toiling to keep you up to date on breaking stories, features, analyses, photographs and infographs, attention is already turning to the incoming year 2019.
2019 promises to be an interesting year. Right now, public attention is concentrated on the February-March 2019 elections and the possible outcome, so our insightful contributor Prof Jibrin Ibrahim attempts a prediction. Internal security, which has been a major issue in Nigeria in the outgoing year, is most certain to dominate national discourse in 2019 too, especially issues such as Zamfara, Boko Haram, kidnapping, armed robbery, farmers/herders’ conflicts, pipeline vandalism and inter-communal killings. Read more
NCAA sanctions four airlines for violating civil aviation regulations (ThisDay)
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said that it has sanctioned four operators for violating the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NigCARs).
The General Manager, Public Relations, NCAA, Mr Sam Adurogboye, who made the disclosure on Sunday in Lagos, said that those sanctioned included both scheduled and non-scheduled operators. Read more
Gunmen kill councillor in Ekiti, wife hospitalized (Punch)
Gunmen have shot dead 37-year-old councilor representing Ado Ward 9 at Ado Local Government Council, Deji Akeredolu.
Akeredolu was on his way home at the Onala area of Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Friday night when the incident happened.
Akeredolu and his wife were said to have alighted from a motorbike at the junction to their house at about 10pm when the gunmen struck and fired shots at him from the back. Read more
Obasanjo, IBB, governors eulogise Shagari, buried in hometown (Independent)
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday extolled the late former president, Shehu Shagari’s role in Nigeria’s pre- and post-independence politics.
Obasanjo gave the eulogy in a condolence letter addressed to Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Abeokuta.
He described late Shagari as a humble, patriotic, amiable and notable Nigerian leader. Read more
Cannabis ‘twice as strong as a decade ago’ (SkyNews)
Cannabis resin and herbal cannabis have doubled in potency in a decade, according to a pan-European study.
Concentrations of THC in herbal cannabis – the main psychoactive element of the drug – increased from 5% in 2006 to 10% in 2016.
For cannabis resin, it rose from 8% in 2006 to 10% in 2011, then jumped to 17% by 2017. Read more
Italy slashes retirement age (Independent)
The Italian parliament has approved the government’s 2019 budget days before the year-end deadline following a lengthy stand-off with the European Union over spending.
Leaders of the country’s ruling populist coalition had been forced to pledge to cut the deficit next year to 2.04 per cent of GDP after Brussels rejected an original target of 2.4 per cent, saying it broke EU fiscal rules. Read more
16 dead in election violence as Bangladesh goes to the polls (StarsandStripes)
More than a dozen people reportedly died in election-related violence in Bangladesh on Sunday, as voters went to the polls to decide whether to give Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a third consecutive term amid critics’ claims that her leadership has become increasingly authoritarian.
In the run-up to the election, activists from both the ruling party and the opposition complained of attacks on supporters and candidates. Read more
More than 400 lives saved at sea in 2018 (BelfastTelegraph)
More than 400 lives were saved by the Irish Coast Guard this year, compared to 340 in 2017.
The Coast Guard’s three rescue coordination centres at Malin Head, Valentia Island and Dublin operate on a 24/7 basis.
In the past year, the three centres managed a total of 2,650 incidents which saw a rise when compared to 2017 (2,503 incidents).
Coastguard director Chris Reynolds said it was important to raise the alarm in time. Read more
How sport in 2018 brought out the best and the worst in us (Independent)
Sport has never just been about balls and goals and points and rules. It’s a reflection of our nature, a reflection on our times, an expression of our humanity, a vehicle for change, says Jonathan Liew
Was it real? Could we believe our eyes? Was it all a dream, a vision, a canny confidence trick? As the World Cup blew through our lives this summer, bringing with it a fiesta of colour and cordiality, of fun and fabulous football, it was impossible not to be overcome by a curious and persistent surrealness. How real was this ebullient, congenial version of Putin’s Russia: a country of beaming policemen, bureaucratic alacrity, fans of all races partying on the streets of St Petersburg? Read more
Your top 10 sporting moments of 2018 (BelfastTelegraph)
The New Year is almost upon us and it’s time to reflect on another packed 12 months of Northern Ireland sporting action.
We did just that when we put together a list of 20 contenders for Northern Irish sporting moment of the year. But who better to decide the winner than you lot, the readers? So we set up a poll and reeled in 2,571 votes as you had your say. Read more
2019 W’Cup: Okobi seeks adequate preparation for Falcons (Independent)
Super Falcons midfielder Ngozi Okobi has called for the team’s adequate preparation for the 2019 Women’s World Cup.
The team is scheduled to take part in the four-nation China Cup and the prestigious Cyprus Cup in January and February respectively, ahead of the Women’s global event next summer. Read more
A peep into Nigeria’s 2019 sports line-up (DailyTrust)
Super Eagles’ striker Odion Ighalo (9) is surrounded by Libyan players during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier
With year 2018 winding up, sports administrators, sponsors, athletes and technical officials are bracing up for a loaded calendar year of sporting activities in 2019, in which the football, basketball, tennis and other national teams, sportsmen and women will be chasing continental and global glories.
The major events for Nigeria in the year are the men’s Africa Cup of Nations, Women’s FIFA World Cup, as well as the usual annual events. Read more
Eke: Talented gymnast chooses Nigeria over USA (ThisDay)
Nigerian gymnast Uche Eke born in Maryland has decided that he would rather represent Nigeria instead of the USA as he draws inspiration from the likes of Courtney Dike, Victor Moses, Alex Iwobi and the current trio of Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga.
Eke seeks to shatter the glass ceiling by becoming the first African to win a medal in gymnastics at the Olympics, especially with the fact most of his contemporary for the Tokyo Olympics gymnastics events from team USA, are all a step behind him. A sense of loyalty is what drives 21 year old Eke, as he believes he can bring home the coveted gold for his family, nation and continent. Eke has had the opportunity to train with the best in the USA gymnastics team, while pursuing an Engineering degree in the University of Michigan. Read more