NAFDAC: ‘‘Our mother died for nothing,’’- late Dora Akunyili’s son (Vanguard)
Edozie Akunyili, son of a former Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, late Dora Akunyili, has expressed grief over the failure of the sacrifices his parents made to pay off in Nigeria.
Edozie made this assertion in a statement via his X (formerly Twitter) handle in the wake of outrage over the growing prevalence of counterfeit consumer goods in markets and stores across the country.
He stated, “Exactly. Nobody has sacrificed more for Nigeria than our family and yet we constantly ask ourselves if it was worth it? Read more
Egbin station shut, power generation reduces by 676MW (Channels)
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says the Egbin Power generating station located in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State was shut down on Monday to allow the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) to maintain a linking gas pipeline supplying gas to the station.
In a statement, TCN said the station, which contributes more than 16% of the total electricity generated in the national grid, would be shut down for three days, effective Monday. Read more
Police confirm abduction of high court judge in Akwa Ibom (Leadership)
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has confirmed the distressing abduction of High Court Judge, Justice Joy Uwana, along with her driver in Oron Local Government Area.
Tragically, her police orderly lost his life in the attack that took place on the Uyo-Okobo road.
Confirming the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo, SP Odiko Macdon, the police command’s spokesman, disclosed that the investigation is underway to track down the kidnappers and secure the safe release of the judge and her driver. Read more
Utomi, Iyere, Ozokwo, others launch food security programme (Sun)
Prof. Pat Utomi, activist, Kennedy Iyere, nollywood actress, Patience Ozokwo are among influential Nigerians who recently launched Food4all Initiative, a food security programme to help in eradicating food poverty by ensuring that Nigerians are able to afford and access quality foods.
The initiative is powered by Fund-Yes Cooperative, a national grassroots cooperative movement dedicated to reducing unemployment, creating sustainable livelihoods and eradicating extreme and household poverty in Nigeria, using entrepreneurship as a viable tool.
Others who are part of the project include Kennedy Iyere, nollywood actor, Paul Obazele, Capt Evarest Nnaji, Dr. Orji Emmanuel and Dr Emmanuel Mgbekwute. Read more
Edo: No allocation to my office for 6 months, I rely on friends – Shaibu (DailyTrust)
The Edo State Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, says he has been relying on friends and goodwill to survive following the tension between him and his principal Governor Godwin Obaseki.
He said the tension had affected the budgetary allocation to his office, as the office had not received allocation in the last six months.
Shaibu said this on Tuesday during the official launching of the Secretariat of the Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State Council. Read more
Female learner driver rams into tricycle, kills 3, injures 4 (Vanguard)
At least three persons on Tuesday lost their lives, while four others sustained varying degrees of life-threatening injuries in an accident, which occured at the Maranatha axis of the Oru-Ijebu Igbo highway, in Ijebu North local government area of Ogun State.
The accident, which happened around 11am, involved a Toyota Camry “Muscle” car with registration number, SGM 88 AE, which ran over a commercial tricycle marked, TTN 117 VV, shuttling between the former refugees camp in Oru and Ijebu-Igbo of Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state.
Vanguard reliably gathered that the car, driven by a female learner was on top speed inbound Ijebu-Igbo when it lost control and collided with the tricycle, which resulted in the death of three of its passengers, while four others, who sustained life-threatening injuries were passers-by and others waiting to board vehicles to their various destinations at a bus stop in the area. Read more
Asake, Burna Boy and Rema lead Spotify’s Gen Z top 10 (Guardian)
Spotify’s year-end wrap-up, known as Wrapped, has provided insights into the listening habits of different demographics, and one thing’s clear: Gen Z can’t get enough of Afrobeats. Nigerian artists Burna Boy, Asake, Davido, Rema, and Omah Lay all claimed spots in the top 10 most-streamed artists among Gen Z listeners in Sub-Saharan Africa, showcasing the genre’s undeniable popularity among younger audiences.
Leading the charge are Canadian rapper Drake and Afrobeats king Burna Boy, with Drake securing the top spot thanks to his collaborative album with 21 Savage on “Her Loss” and the release of his highly anticipated album “For All the Dogs” in October. Burna Boy, consistently lauded for his energetic live shows and innovative sound, remains a favorite among Gen Z.
However, two rising stars from Nigeria have made significant waves: Asake and Rema. Asake, known for his infectious blend of Afrobeats and Amapiano, snagged the No. 3 spot, further solidifying his status as a Gen Z darling. His song “Lonely At The Top” topped the charts within the Gen Z demographic, highlighting its resonating message and catchy melodies. Read more
Stop labelling critics agents of opposition, Akande tells APC leaders (Punch)
Pioneer National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, on Tuesday, warned against labelling members who disagree with the ideology or affairs of the party agents of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
The former governor of Osun state stated that to earn the status of a truly progressive party, there is a need for members to have the audacity to openly discuss the affairs of the APC within or outside its confines.
Akande made the appeal at the public presentation of a book titled “APC and Transition Politics” where he was also the chairman. Read more
Rihanna says ‘it’s a turn-on’ watching A$AP Rocky as a dad (PageSix)
Rihanna gushed over watching boyfriend A$AP Rocky become a “great, patient, loving” father to their two children, RZA and Riot.
“I loved him differently as a dad,” she told Access Hollywood Monday night. “This is major, major like, it’s a turn-on. It’s just like, ‘Wow! What a leader, what a great, patient, loving [dad].’”
The “We Found Love” singer — born Robyn Fenty — said her sons are “obsessed” with the “Fashion Killa” rapper, 35.
“I’m just a background, like, I’m an extra,” she quipped. Read more
Mariah Carey & boyfriend spark breakup rumours (HipHopDx)
Mariah Carey and her longtime boyfriend Bryan Tanaka have sparked breakup rumours after seven years of dating.
Mariah has been dashing through the snow on her Merry Christmas One and All! Tour and Tanaka, who is typically by her side for the holiday season, has been nowhere to be found, according to People.
While People couldn’t confirm the split, they received word from a source that the “All I Want For Christmas Is You” singer is spending Christmas in Aspen, Colorado without Tanaka. Read more
Zelenskyy confident US will not ‘betray’ Ukraine (AlJazeera)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed confidence that the United States and other Western countries will continue to support Ukraine in its battle to repel Russia’s invasion.
Speaking during an end-of-year news conference on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said that financial assistance plays a crucial role in the country’s efforts to drive back Russian forces that poured over the border in February 2022. He also suggested that Ukraine could mobilise 500,000 more people in order to fight on.
“We are working very hard on this, and I am certain the United States of America will not betray us, and that on which we agreed in the United States will be fulfilled completely,” Zelenskyy said. Read more
How America’s patchwork death notification system leaves families in the dark (NBC)
In Louisiana, parents spent eight months searching for their 34-year-old son, only to discover this summer that his body had been identified soon after his disappearance and cremated without their permission.
Siblings in Michigan filed a missing person report when they couldn’t reach their 59-year-old brother, but they say nobody contacted them after police found him dead from an overdose. His body sat in a county morgue for 514 days, decomposing to the point of being unrecognisable.
After a man in California died from complications of Covid-19 and drug use, it took a coroner in California more than three months to notify his family. The coroner investigator’s explanation, the man’s brother says: “We dropped the ball.” Read more
Woman gets 12 months after being caught on camera throwing dog off parking garage roof (People)
An Australian woman who tossed her dog off the second-story roof of a parking lot has been sentenced to one year behind bars, according to multiple reports.
Amy Lea Judge, 26, was sentenced in Midland Magistrates Court on Tuesday for the attack on her 10-year-old Maltese-Shih-Tzu mix named Princess, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Prosecutors called her behaviour “egregious, callous and cruel,” the Morning Herald reported. Read more
More than 170 Epstein associates to be named after judge unseals court records (Independent)
The identities of more than 170 of Jeffrey Epstein’s associates are due to be revealed in the coming weeks after a New York judge ordered a trove of secret documents be unsealed.
The scores of names are contained in a long-running, now-settled defamation lawsuit brought by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre against his former fixer and convicted child trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.
Judge Loretta Preska issued the order on Monday unsealing materials connected to the case, which will identify 177 individuals previously only referred to as John Doe or Jane Doe. Read more
DRC: Government fears election results tempering (AfricaNews)
The Democratic Republic of Congo declined to authorize satellite equipment for European Union election observers, expressing concerns that it could be utilised to manipulate the upcoming presidential poll later this month, as reported by multiple sources.
“Some organisations come with technology that could effectively penetrate the electronic system of the CENI (Independent National Electoral Commission) and be able to manipulate the election results,” said Peter Kazadi, Minister of the Interior and Security.
In an unexpected move on November 29, the EU called off its electoral mission to the central African nation, citing technical issues. Read more
Awoniyi, Aina to work under new coach at Nottingham Forest (CompleteSports)
Super Eagles duo, Taiwo Awoniyi and Ola Aina will now work under a new manager at Premier League club, Nottingham Forest.
Nottingham Forest announced the sacking of their head coach Steve Cooper on Tuesday.
Cooper spent over two years at the City Ground. Read more
Lewis Hamilton talks revealed by second F1 boss after Christian Horner’s Red Bull claim (Mirror)
Frederic Vasseur has revealed regular conversations with Lewis Hamilton – but admits a Ferrari move has never been close to materialising.
The seven-time world champion committed two more years of his Formula 1 future to Mercedes earlier this year. But before putting pen to paper on that deal, there was plenty of talk that he was shopping around.
A report that Ferrari were prepared to offer Hamilton £50m to join them was never confirmed. And Christian Horner’s claim that the Brit’s entourage contacted Red Bull over a potential switch has been disputed too. Read more
Njinmah stunner snatches Bremen draw against Leipzig (RFI)
Dortmund (Germany) (AFP) – A stunning second-half strike from Justin Njinmah secured Werder Bremen a valuable point in a 1-1 draw at home to RB Leipzig on Tuesday.
With Leipzig dominating the game and leading after a Lois Openda goal, Njinmah shed two defenders and blasted a long-range effort into the net from outside the box with 15 minutes remaining.
“Every point is beautiful, especially against such a strong team,” said Bremen forward Leonardo Bittencourt. “And call me crazy, but we should have won.” Read more
Paul Scholes delivers damning verdict on Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez’s finishing (HitC)
Liverpool now appear to be having doubts about signing Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly just as Tottenham Hotspur take a very similar stance.
We are expecting to see both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur make moves for new defenders in 2024.
The Reds have lost Joel Matip to injury and may need additional depth at the back, especially with the Cameroonian expected to move on next summer. Read more
Man City beat Urawa to reach ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ final (BBC)
Manchester City’s players have a once “in-our-lifetime” opportunity when they face Brazil’s Fluminense in the Club World Cup final, says manager Pep Guardiola.
Guardiola’s team swept past Urawa Red Diamonds in Tuesday’s semi-final to set up a meeting with the South American champions on Friday in Saudi Arabia.
City are looking to become the fourth English club to win the title after Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea. Read more
Mary Earps wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023 after England World Cup heroics (Mirror)
The 30-year-old Manchester United goalkeeper has enjoyed a sensational year of individual and team success, having claimed the Golden Glove award for the 2022-23 WSL season and at the Women’s World Cup
England goalkeeper Mary Earps has been crowned this year’s BBC Sport Personality of the Year.
Earps, 30, makes it successive years that a member of the Lionesses has claimed the accolade, after last year’s winner Beth Mead. athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson came third while cricketer Stuart Broad came second. Read more