Okada ban takes effect in Lagos (DailyTrust)
Trailer loads of motorcycles were yesterday transported out of Lagos State as the government launched fresh enforcement of the state’s traffic law which restricts Okada and Keke on major highways.
The ban on motorcycles and tricycles took effect in Lagos yesterday in 15 local governments and many highways and bridges as announced last week by the state government.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotosho, said the ban was to protect the lives and property of Lagosians against “the menace of Okada and Keke”. Read more
Okada/Keke ban: LASTMA hails compliance (Guardian)
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) says the compliance of commercial motorcycle (Okada) and Tricycle (Keke) operators to the ban and restriction in the state is “pretty good”.
The LASTMA’s General Manager, Mr Olajide Oduyoye, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Saturday.
Oduyoye said that there would not be fight or argument with any operator who willingly complied with the law. Read more
Truck crushes one to death, injures two in Lagos (Punch)
A truck killed a woman and left two others with varying degrees of injury on Saturday at the Ojota area of Lagos State.
The driver reportedly lost control of the truck while speeding which resulted in the crash.
The truck was said to have fallen with two containers attached to it, trapping the victims in the process.
It was learnt that the woman died on the spot while the two others were extricated by emergency officials and rushed to the Accident and Trauma Centre at Tollgate. Read more
LASG to launch 8 boats, mobile app to enhance water transportation (Guardian)
The Lagos State Government says is set to unveil eight new boats and mobile application, toward enhancing water transportation in the state.
The Managing Director, Lagos Ferry Services (LAGFERRY), Mr Abdoulbaq Ladi-Balogun, made this known in Ikeja on Saturday at a news conference on the commercial launch of operations of LAGFERRY.
Ladi-Balogun said that the eight new boats and the mobile app would be officially unveiled on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. Read more
Banks, shipping companies review VAT rates to reflect 7.5% (Punch)
Banks, shipping companies, the Nigeria Customs Service and agencies that offer services requiring the Value Added Tax, adjusted their rates on Saturday to reflect the new VAT rate of 7.5 per cent.
On Friday, First Bank sent a message to its customers stating, “Further to the enactment of the Finance Act 2019, the Federal Government has announced that the implementation of the 7.5 per cent Value Added Tax rate under the new Finance Act will commence on February 1, 2020.
“In line with the Federal Government’s directives, please be informed that VAT on each eligible bank transaction or service will be charged at the new rate of 7.5 per cent with effect from February 1, 2020.”
Also, any Customs service requiring the payment of VAT has been adjusted to reflect the new rate.
A freight forwarder, Sunny Nnebe, confirmed the rate adjustment to our correspondent. Read more
Former NADECO chieftain, Arthur Nwankwo is dead (Vanguard)
Dr Arthur Agwuanchi Nwankwo,the founder and chancellor of Eastern Mandate Union (EMU), as well as the former vice-chairman of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) is dead.
Born August 19, 1942, the about-to-clock 78 years old elder statesman was confirmed to have kiss the dust at around 2pm on Saturday which coincides with the first day of the second month of the year (2020).
The cause of death is yet to be ascertained at the time of publication but report indicated he died after a brief illness.
A reliable source revealed he died in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu. Read more
US Congress moves to nullify visa ban on Nigeria, others (Nation)
The US House of Representatives is set on a fresh course of collision with President Donald Trump, this time over the Friday restriction of immigrant visa against Nigerians and nationals of five other countries.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Saturday that the new policy smacked of discrimination and undermined the US global leadership, constitution and heritage.
The House, according to her would soon establish a “no ban act” against the immigrant visa ban which also targets nationals of Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Tanzania and Sudan. Read more
Anxiety as state workers await implementation of N30,000 minimum wage (DailyTrust)
Workers across states are anxiously awaiting the implementation of the N30,000 new minimum wage approved by the Federal Government last year. While the Federal Government has commenced the payment of the new minimum wage to her workers, the situation at the state level is not so as only few of them are said to have commenced the implementation while others are still in the process of doing so. In some of the states, workers have taken to the streets to protest, while members of the organised labour in some others are threatening to down tools should the government fail to implement the new wage. Read more
NCDC dispels rumor of coronavirus in Nigeria (Nation)
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has dispelled rumours about the spread of the dreaded coronavirus to the country.
The NCDC, in a statement yesterday in Abuja, said: “The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control is aware of ongoing rumours of the importation of the novel coronavirus to Nigeria.
“This individual returned from China last week and went for a routine medical check as requested by his employers. He showed no symptoms of illness and has not been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.
“NCDC has agreed a national case definition to identify suspect cases and established a laboratory testing platform to test samples from patients that meet this case definition. Read more
Wuhan woman screams as Chinese authorities barricade her inside own home (Metro)
Chinese authorities have been accused of leaving people to ‘starve and die’ after shocking videos emerged of police barricading families into their homes to stop the spread of coronavirus. Footage sent to Metro.co.uk shows masked men nailing huge metal bars over the doors and windows of people feared to be infected with the deadly disease. In one, a woman can be heard screaming and pleading as uniformed officers lock her inside. A sign outside her sealed off door reads: ‘This family came back from Wuhan. Stay away, no contact’. Read more
Coronavirus: First death reported outside China (BBC)
A man has died of the coronavirus in the Philippines in the virus’s first confirmed fatality outside China.
The patient was a 44-year-old Chinese man from Wuhan, in Hubei province, where the virus was first detected.
He appeared to have been infected before arriving in the Philippines, the World Health Organization said.
More than 300 people have died in the outbreak so far, the vast majority from Hubei, and more than 14,000 people have been infected. Read more
Moving on: British flags disappear in EU as Brexit transition starts (Metro)
The EU has removed all traces of the UK from its buildings after Britain ended its 47-year relationship with the bloc. Outside the European Parliament in Brussels, an empty pole stands in between the flags of the remaining 26 EU member states. In Strasbourg, staff wasted no time in taking down the Union Jack, which disappeared hours before the Brexit deadline. The historic split happened at 11pm on Friday and was marked with both celebrations and protests across the UK. Read more
US travel ban: Nigeria’s Buhari to comply with Trump’s new visa rules (BBC)
Nigeria will work to fix security lapses that led to a US curb on immigration from the country, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.
Mr Buhari said he wants Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, to have “productive relations” with the US.
He has appointed a minister to lead a committee to “study and address” the new visa requirements.
Citizens from Eritrea, Sudan, Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar are also barred from certain types of US visas.
People from these countries will, however, still be able to visit the US as tourists. Read more
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos added £10bn to his fortune in just 15 minutes (Metro)
Jeff Bezos is so rich he can make $13.2 billion (£10b) in just 15 minutes without lifting a finger. The 56-year-old Amazon CEO earned the vast sum when his company posted holiday quarter results well above expectations on Thursday. The positive numbers were the result of Amazon’s one-day shipping program expansion coming under budget and Prime loyalty club membership rising by 50% in two years. Bloomberg reported Bezos, the richest man in the world, made $13.2b (£10b) in a quarter of an hour. Read more
How Novak Djokovic can counteract threat of Dominic Thiem (Metro)
Novak Djokovic will bid for an eighth Australian Open title on Sunday, with Dominic Thiem hoping to win his first Grand Slam title. Djokovic has never lost beyond the semi-finals at Melbourne Park and has won all seven of his previous finals. This is Thiem’s first Grand Slam final away from the clay courts of Roland Garros and he arrives having taken out world No. 1 Rafael Nadal. Djokovic can return to the top of the rankings should he win his eighth title Down Under but it’s far from a given he will win. Read more
Lamar Jackson: Baltimore Ravens quarterback named NFL’s most valuable player for 2019 (BBC)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was named the NFL’s most valuable player for the 2019 season at the pre-Super Bowl NFL Honors awards in Miami.
Jackson, 23, was in sensational form throughout the regular season, setting an NFL record for rushing yards for a quarterback as the Ravens won their division.
The Ravens entered the play-offs with the best record in the NFL (14-2) but they were shocked by Tennessee in the divisional round last month. Read more
Gary Neville slams Ed Woodward over Manchester United’s deadline day deal for Odion Ighalo (Metro)
Gary Neville has slammed Ed Woodward over Manchester United’s ‘desperate’ deadline day for striker Odion Ighalo. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was keen to bolster his attacking options during the January transfer window and United completed a last-ditch deal for Nigeria international Ighalo on Friday. Ighalo, 30, scored 39 goals in 99 appearances for Watford between 2014 and 2017 and arrives at Old Trafford on loan until the end of the season. Neville believes the Shanghai Shenhua loanee could ‘score a few goals’ for his former club but has nevertheless slammed Woodward over United’s approach in the transfer market. Read more
Kobe Bryant: LeBron James leads tributes to LA Lakers legend (BBC)
LeBron James led tributes to LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant in the team’s first game since he died in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter Gianna and seven other people.
The Lakers lost 127-119 to the Portland Trail Blazers at the Staples Center on a night when the team remembered Bryant’s 20-year career in LA, which delivered five NBA championships.
Lakers players wore shirts with Bryant’s numbers – eight and 24 – displayed on them in the warm-up and a ‘KB’ logo was printed on the court. Read more
Khabib Nurmagomedov has enormous offer to fight Floyd Mayweather in Saudi Arabia (Metro)
Saudi Arabian backers want Khabib Nurmagomedov to fight Floyd Mayweather and they are willing to pay the UFC champion $100m (£75m) to do it. That is according to the Eagle’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, who says the money men in the Middle East want to see Khabib take on Mayweather or Conor McGregor in Saudi Arabia. The UFC lightweight champion is defending his title on 18 April against Tony Ferguson in Brooklyn, and Abdelaziz thinks that a scrap with Mayweather could be the next assignment for his client. ‘Some people in Saudi Arabia met with me they want to pay $100m to fight Conor in Saudi Arabia,’ Abdelaziz told TMZ Sports. Read more
Liverpool equal Man City home wins record (DailyTrust l
Liverpool equal Man City home wins record Liverpool have equalled Manchester City’s record of 20 consecutive wins at home in the Premier League with an emphatic victory over Southampton at Anfield. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored the opener just after half time – his second goal in as many league matches – when he drilled the ball low into the bottom corner. Reds’ skipper Jordan Henderson made it 2-0 on the hour mark with a calm finish after being set up by Roberto Firmino. Henderson then played in Mohamed Salah for Liverpool’s third and the Egypt forward added a fourth from close range in the last minute. Read more
MUSA: Life in Saudi Arabia is great (Nation)
Saudi Arabia-based Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa, has been giving himself and his resources to mankind all his life. He has been a man of compassion and charity even before he became a wealthy football super star. Born and raised in Jos as one of five children, Musa was a ‘boy on the street’ and his skills were honed on the street of the ‘Tin City’, where he was spotted by local scouts who brought him to a local football academy, Aminchi.
“Musa is one of the few Nigerians that believe you don’t have to be a billionaire to be able to help whoever is in need,” USA-based sport journalist Olusola Alao who saw Musa from his humble days told The Nation. “The Jos-born player showed he is a cheerful giver right from his days with JUTH FC when he would give out almost his salary and allowances to fans that come to the team’s training, camp and hotels. Read more
Osimhen nets winner in Lille comeback…Scores 11th ligue 1 goal (Punch)
Super Eagles striker got his fifth away goal and his 11th league goal in Lille’s comeback win over Strasbourg away on Saturday.
Les Dogues came into the match on the back of a 2-0 loss to league leaders, PSG, hence, needed the win to remain in contention for a champions league spot next season.
The host took the lead through an Adrian Thomasson’s 12th minute strike however, Magalasia equalized for Christian Galtier on the interval, firing home in the 65th minute.
Osimhen, the club’s top scorer ensured Lille return home with the three points by converting a penalty in the 80th minute to keep Lille in sight of next season’s UCL spot. Read more
Attack, attack… Enyimba seek quarterfinal ticket in Abidjan (Guardian)
Enyimba’s Coach, Fatai Osho believes his team’s hope of getting anything out of Abidjan, where they will face San Pedro in their Confederation Cup last group game, is by taking the game to the home team.
Enyimba are on seven points and need only a draw to make the quarterfinals alongside group leaders, Hassania Agadir of Morocco. But Osho knows that playing for a draw could hand the Ivoirians the impetus to hurt Enyimba’s ambitions.
Speaking before leaving for Abidjan, Osho said, “we will play to win the game, but if it ends in a draw, no problem.
“We will not take the Ivoirians for granted, even though they have already been eliminated from the competition. Read more
Man United play goalless draw in Fernandes debut against Wolves (Vanguard)
Bruno Fernandes could not inspire Manchester United to victory on his debut, which ended in a 0-0 draw with Wolves.
Manchester United failed to capitalise on Chelsea dropping points in the race for the Premier League top four as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Wolves in Bruno Fernandes’ debut.
United completed the long-awaited capture of Portugal midfielder Fernandes on Wednesday in a deal that could end up being worth €80million. Read more
